IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


L&12.8     12.5 
12.2 


M40 


US 


2.0 


iniii 

M 


"'    .    ■     ' 

|t25 

[|u  i^ 

^ 

6"     

► 

Sciences 
CorporatiGn 


33  WIST  MAIN  STREtT 

WEBSTSR,li<..Y.  14SM 

(  '!  >)  872-4S03 


'^ 


%^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  MIsroreproductlons  /  Instltut  Canadian  de  microreproductlons  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquaa  at  bibiiographiquea 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  thia 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagea  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantiy  change 
the  uauai  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


Coloured  covera/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


rri    Covera  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagAe 

Covera  reatored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurte  et/ou  pellicul4e 

Cover  title  miaaing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  mapa/ 

Cartea  g^ographiquaa  en  couleur 

Coloured  inic  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  blacic)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I     I   Coloured  platea  and/or  illuatrationa/ 


D 
D 


D 


D 


Planchea  et/ou  illuatrationa  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reii^  avec  d'autrea  documenta 

Tight  binding  may  cauae  ahadowa  or  diatortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  aerr^e  peut  cauaer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  ia 
diatortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intArieure 

Blank  ieavea  added  during  reatoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  poaaible,  theae 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  ae  peut  que  certainea  pagea  blanchea  ajout^ea 
lore  d'une  reatauration  apparaiaaent  dana  le  texte, 
mala,  loraque  cela  4tait  poaaible,  cea  pagea  n'ont 
paa  4tA  film^aa. 

Additional  commenta:/ 
Commentairea  aupplAmantairea: 


L'Inatitut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  AtA  poaaible  de  ae  procurer.  Les  dAtaila 
de  cet  exemplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atre  uniquaa  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dana  la  mtthoda  normaia  de  fiimage 
aont  indiqu6a  ci-daaaoua. 


□   Coloured  pagea/ 
Pagea  de  couleur 

□    Pagea  damaged/ 
Pagea  andommag^ea 

□   Pagea  reatored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pagea  reataurAea  et/ou  pellicultea 

0    Pagea  diacoloured,  atainad  or  foxed/ 
Pagea  dAcoiortea,  tachetAea  ou  piqutea 

□   Pagea  detached/ 
Pagea  dttachAea 

HShowthrough/ 
Tranaparence 


Tranaparence 

Quality  of  prir 

QualitA  in6gale  de  i'impreaaion 

inciudea  aupplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  material  auppMmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  diaponibie 


r~n    Quality  of  print  variee/ 

I      I    Inciudea  aupplementary  material/ 

r~~1    Only  edition  available/ 


D 


Pagea  wholly  or  partially  obacured  by  errata 
alipa,  tisauaa,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
enaura  the  beat  poaaible  image/ 
Lea  pagea  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obacurciaa  par  un  feuiilet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  At*  filmtea  it  nouveau  de  fa^on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  poaaible. 


Thia  item  ia  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  eat  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-deaaoua. 


T 

a 
T 

VI 

IV 
d 
ei 
b 
ri 
ri 
m 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

X 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

1 

The  copy  filmed  h«r«  has  bMn  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  o«nerosity  of. 

Library  of  the  Pubiic 
Archives  of  Canada 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  Iceeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  bacic  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  film*  f ut  reproduit  grflce  d  la 
g^nArosit*  de: 

La  bibliothdque  des  Archives 
publiques  du  Canada 

Las  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet*  de  l'exemplaire  filnr  6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditio.  ^  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimte  sont  filmte  en  commen^ant 
par  ie  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiim6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terrninant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cas:  le  symbols  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  y  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsqus  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  ciich*.  il  est  film*  i  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

If  .  ■' 


f. 


i-^:*^- 


'MS' 


f         THE  /i 

CANADIAN  FARMER'S  TRAVELS 


XV    TUT. 


LNITT^D  STATRSyOF  AMERICA, 


lir  WHICH  REMAKKS  ARE  MADS  ON 


THE  ARBITRARY  COLONIAL  POLICY 


»/* 


PRACTISfiD  IN  CANADA, 

•  AHD  THE 

'   FREE  AND  EQUAL  RIGHTS, 

AND  HAPPT  KPFECTl,  OF  THK 

LIBERAL   INSTITUTIONS  AND   ASTONISHING   ENTERPRISE 

OF  THK 

UNITED  STATES. 


BY  ROBERT  DAVIS. 


BUFFALO: 

PRINTED  TdR  THE  AUTHOR. 

(Steele's  Presa.] 


••••«•••••••• 


1837 


•  /  • 


« 


'M 


mn'X 


s|j;.i^  A     ir: 


'         .< 


'■',^  i  i  i  -  ■■;■  J 


/ 


i»  ?./  '■;;i>;"i- 


■:^:^■)^• 


:  I         ■  '      ' 


,'{   / 


tfi";'* 


►*'Vr..o  '  /   i^i*  .' 


.1  ' 


•  ',5  ■ 


PREFACE. 


:i!^*0: 


V.l^ 


'♦: 


i   M    ;"i 


'')'^i<  ;o 


-f^-« 


In  the  following  Journal  and  Remarks,  the  reader  need 
n  ot  expect  any  critical  disquisition  on  politics,  nor  any  tasty 
flowers  of  rhetoric,  or  the  beauties  of  fine  writing;  for  though 
the  author  has  been  in  Canada  ever  since  he  was  a  little 
boy,  he  has  not  had  the  privileges  of  a  classical  education 
at  the  King's  College,  or  the  less  advantages  derived  from 
a  District  School.  The  greater  part  of  his  time  has  been 
spent  in  close  confinement  in  the  wilderness  of  Nissouri 
Township.  Indeed  it  has  been  confinement  enough,  to  watch 
over  and  provide  for  a  tender  and  increasing  family.  He 
had  in  most  instances  to  make  his  own  roads  and  bridges, 
clear  his  own  farm,  educate  himself  and  children,  be  his 
own  mechanic,  and  except  now  and  then,  has  had  no  socie- 
ty, but  his  own  family.  Has  had  his  bones  broken  by  the 
fall  of  trees,  his  feet  lacerated  by  the  axe,  and  suflfered  al- 
most every  thing  except  death. 

He  waited  year  after  year  in  hopes  of  better  days,  expec- 
ting that  the  government  would  care  less  for  themselves  and 
more  for  the  people.  But  every  year  he  has  been  disappoint- 
ed, and  instead  of  things  getting  better,  in  many  instances 
they  have  been  getting  worse.  The  Church  ascendency 
has  been  getting  worse  and  worse,  till  they  have  at  last  got 
fifty -seven  rectories  established,  and  what  next,  who  can  tell. 


PREFACE. 


The  Orange  mob  is  worse  every  election,  so  that  it  is  im- 
possible for  any  honest  peaceable  reformer  to  give  his  vote 
for  a  member  of  Parliament  without  the  fear  or  realization 
of  having^is  head  broken.  Also,  honest  reform  magistrates 
arc  almost  daily  getting  their  dischaige  from  the  commission 
of  the  peace,  and  Court  of  requests:  while  the  most  ignorant 
and  worthless  of  the  tories,  are  becoming  magistrates. 

The  above  among  other  reasons,  induced  the  author  to 
visit  the  United  States.  And  though  several  persons  from 
Canada  have,  at  different  times,  visited  the  States,  very  few 
have  published  any  thing  of  what  they  have  seen.  He 
therefore  though  a  plain  man,  endeavoured  to  make  the  best 
of  his  tour,  by  making  all  the  enquiries  he  could  concern- 
ing the  trade,  sale  of  lands,  rail-roads,  canals,  agriculture, 
general  improvements,  government,  religion,  and  other  mat- 
ters in  the  republican  country:  and  therefore  took  down  notes 
of  every  th'ng  he  could.  His  notes  furnished  him  with  a 
more  particular  description  of  towns,  roads  &c;  but  consid- 
ering a  general  description  of  places  and  things  would  be 
more  interesting  and  useful  to  Canadians  and  others,  he 
sends  it  into  the  world  with  hopes,  that  notwithstanding  its 
defects,  and  particularly  its  want  of  polish,  it  will  not  be 
without  some  important  use  to  those  who  may  wish  to  know 
of  the  things  it  details.  He  is  aware  that  there  are  many 
things  treated  of  in  this  work  which  will  not  be  very  pala- 
table to  our  Canadian  tories.  But  they  should  remember 
that  this  is  not  a  time  for  reformers  to  fawn  and  crouch. 
It  is  principhy  the  principle  of  equal  rights  that  the  author 
contends  for,  and  those  who  approve  of  the  principle  of  equal 
rights,  will  protect  both  the  author  and  his  book. 


i  ■     i.. 


.i ';/.;! --U}'. 

-? 

,.v'^/  ,-»»:•   Si     .    ( '     ,4-.        '      •■     ■ 

•    -.:■;   •,",.a,'    ■ 

.  v,,,i^   ,■,  ,  •,•,,..;    ■   ...  .    ,■;    ,.. 

.  ■/      Si;-   ^:..:hm   ' 

'\. „f;,:  \.^',  ;,*  .r.-,: >  ^   u.  .  ;  '^  :,-  .•  -u,.:.. 

:■  ;'    .r  •.k}'-...>;>- 

JOURNAL 

FROM 


NISSOURI  TOWNSHIP,  UPPER  CANADA, 


TO 


^  |>^t  1    av  «,►'*■''••■>■        ■''■•      '* 


MICHIGAN,  OHIO  AND  INDIANA, 


»ii,   ■         •»» 


IN   TU£ 

UNITED  STATES, 

i     WITH    REMARKS. 


■  ^  .  +•♦,=,     f  .-"*  '- 


On  the  5th  September,  1836,  I  left  the  township  of  Nis- 
souri,  in  the  county  of  Oxford,  London  District,  for  the 
United  Slates.  I  had  long  had  a  desire  to  see  with  my  own 
eyes,  what  I  had  heard  of ;  as  actual  observation  must  be 
better  than  report.  I  was  the  more  anxious  to  go  at  this 
time  in  consequence  of  the  mighty  stir  which  had  been  pro- 
duced by  Sir  F.  B.  Head,  our  Lieutenant  Governor.  His 
political  manoeuvres  at  the  late  election  were  too  much  for 
my  nerves,  and  I  wished  to  see  whether  the  same  games 
were  played  by  the  Governors  in  the  United  States,  and 
whether  a  species  of  human  creatures,  called  Orange-men, 
prevented  the  free  election  of  Representatives  in  the  Repub- 
lic. I  passed  through  London  and  Delaware,  and  was 
pleased  to  find  them  gradually  bettering,  in  their  appear- 
ance, but  not  so  rapidly  as  they  ought.  Their  situations  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Thames  are  delightful.  Of  Delaware, 
Mr.  Howison  speaks,  when  he  travelled  through  it  in  1819, 
as  follows  : — **  Having  retraced  my  steps  until  I  gained  the 
main  road,  I  reached  a  place  called  Delaware,  where  1  in* 


6 


JOURNAL. 


tended  to  remain  during  the  night,  and  which  bus  some 
claim  to  the  name  of  a  village,  as  there  is  a  saw  mill  near 
it  and  a  few  houses  within  view  of  each  other.  Here  I  en- 
joyed all  the  comforts  that  are  usually  to  be  met  with  in 
Canadian  hotels  ;  and  after  supping  on  bread  and  hemlock 
tea,  and  supplying  my  horse  with  buckwheat  and  wild  hay, 
I  went  to  bed  at  an  early  hour,  that  I  might  next  morning  be 
better  able  to  accomplish  my  journey  through  what  are  cal- 
led the  Long  Woods."  If  Mr.  Howison  were  to  visit  Dela- 
ware in  1836,  he  would  find  hotel  entertainment  vastly  im- 
proved, and  the  appearance  ot  the  village  more  pleasing. — 
And  instead  of  37  miles  of  uninterrupted  forest,  he  would 
find  it  thickly  settled,  except  nine  miles  of  Indian  reserve  : 
but  in  consequence  of  the  roads  being  so  much  used,  they 
are  very  bad  in  wet  weather,  and  1  really  wished  Sir  F.  B. 
Head  had  been  stuck  fast  in  one  of  the  great  mud  holes  on 
the  Long  Woods,  inasmuch  as  he  nad  refused  to  sign  the 
road  bill,  passed  by  the  two  houses  of  parliament. 

The  settlers  on  the  Long  Woods  are  cultivating  their 
farms  with  great  industry.  I  stopped  at  Mr.  Ward's  for 
the  night,  and  was  hospitably  entertained,  and  the  following 
morning,  set  off  for  Chatham,  but  in  consequence  of  the 
rain  which  fell  the  night  before,  I  had  to  stop  short  of  Chat- 
ham, six  miles.  After  passing  the  Indian  reserve  at  Mora- 
vian Town,  1  was  delighted  with  the  richness  of  soil,  in  fact, 
I  do  not  believe  there  is  better  wheat  land  in  the  world.  I 
have  a  few  observations  to  make  on  the  Moravian  Indians, 
and  the  treatment  they  have  received  from  the  Governors 
of  this  province.  This  Indian  reserve  is  delightfully  situ- 
ated on  the  river  Thames,  it  is  covered  with  the  best  kinds 
of  timber,  and  the  soil  is  well  adapted  for  cultivation  ;  and 
also  has  some  fine  streams  of  water  running  through  it. — 
The  ruins  of  the  old  village,  which  was  destroyed  during 


:rouiiNAL. 


the  last  war,  arc  yet  to  be  seen.  Tlic  villngc  hus  been  re- 
built, and  the  Indians  raise  a  considerable  nuantity  of  grain. 
There  is  a  venerable  Moravian  Missionary,  who  is  a  zeal- 
ous  and  pious  servant  ol'  Christ.  This  good  man  has  been 
with  tiiese  Indians  upwards  of  forty  years,  he  p niches  to 
them  every  day,  and  they  look  up  to  him  as  tlicir  father 
and  friend.  ,   ^        •     k    ■     ^*<;'  /.»'  u^      •; 

Sir  F.  B.  Head,  in  his  lute  visit  on  that  way,  considera- 
bly unsettled  the  minds  of  the  Indians,  by  requesting  them 
to  sell  him  a  part  or  the  whole  of  their  reserve,  and  offer- 
ing them  in  exchange,  lands  north  of  Lake  Huron,  or  to 
send  them  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  that  he  would  send 
them  yearly  presents.  To  this  they  objected,  on  the  ground 
of  having  emigrated  to  Upper  Canada  from  a  desire  to  be 
under  the  British  Government,  and  having  served  and  suf- 
fered in  the  late  war  with  the  Americans,  and  now  consi- 
dered themselves  as  settled  on  the  land  given  them,  they 
strongly  objected  leaving  their  comfortable  homes,  to  go  to 
live  on  the  inhospitable  regions  north  of  Lake  Huron,  or 
among  the  pagan  tribes  west  of  the  Mississippi.  When 
Sir  Francis  heard  their  objections,  he  endeavored  to  frighten 
them  by  telling  them  he  would  settle  round  them  wicked 
white  men  who  would  annoy  them,  and  would  refuse  them 
his  protection.  The  Indians  having  travelled  twelve  miles 
to  wait  upon  him,  they  asked  of  him  a  dinner,  to  which  he, 
with  some  reluctance,  consented.  But  who  are  these  wicked 
white  men  that  would  annoy  the  Indians  ?  Reformers  are 
not  the  tools  of  Sir  Francis  ;  and  I  hope  the  respectable 
part  of  the  tories  would  not  do  such  dirty  work.  I  guess 
none,  except  the  Orange  ir.ob,  would  serve  Sir  Francis  in 
this  matter ;  but  upon  second  thought,  perhaps  not  even 
Orange-men  ;  therefore  the  Indians  may  settle  their  minds 
on  this  point  a  little  longer.  ,^ ,  . 


I 


8  JOURNAL. 

Louisvillo  is  a  small  village  without  houses  ofcntertain'* 
ment,  and  the  groceries,  I  am  happy  to  say,  do  not  sell  ar- 
dent spirits.  To  this  village  steam  boats  come  occasionally. 
From  Louisvillo  to  Chatham  the  country  is  delightful,  there 
are  some  gooil  buildings,  and  excellent  orchards  ;  apples 
are  plentiful,  but  peaches  do  not  thrive  well  here. 

Chatham  is  u  thriving  town,  it  1ms  several  respectable 
stores  and  taverns,  and  a  steamboat  leaves  it  once  in  two 
days  for  Sandwich  ;  and  another  boat  is  expected  to  ply  be- 
tween the  two  places  shortly,  which  argues  that  trade  is  on 
the  increase.  However,  this  trade  is  principally  composed 
of  persons  and  their  luggage  going  to  the  far  west.  Many 
of  these  are  from  the  eastern  states,  and  many  are  flying 
from  the  **  girdled  tree^'  in  Upper  Canada.  But  why  are 
they  afraid  of  the  "girdled  tree  ?"  Because  they  are  afraid 
the  root  is  rotting,  and  that  the  trunk  will  fall  upon  them 
and  crush  them  to  the  earth.  For,  at  the  last  election, 
many  of  the  limbs  fell  on  the  reformers'  heads,  and  nearly 
deprived  some  of  life.  Others  had  to  retreat  to  their  homes 
to  save  their  lives.  Therefore,  after  the  election,  many  of 
these  reformers  sold  their  property,  settled  their  affairs,  and 
made  their  way  to  the  Chatham  steam  boats,  for  the  far 
west,  where  they  might  have  elections  without  cudgels  and 
bribery,  and  get  rid  of  a  detestable  aristocracy,  and  where 
they  would  get  education  for  their  children,  and  enjoy  all 
the  blessings  of  civil  and  religious  freedom. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  Chatham  will  become  a  place  of 
considerable  importance,  especially  if  a  rail  road  gets  made 
through  it.  From  Chatham  to  the  mouth  of  the  Th  mes 
the  banks  of  the  river  get  lower  and  the  ground  more 
swampy — the  roads  are  worse,  and  some  mud  holes  are  as 
bad  as  Sir  F.  B.  Head  could  wish  them.  Some  of  the 
Frenchmen  pick  up  many  shillings  by  helping  pec;>i^M  and 


JOURNAL. 


• 


1 


cnttio  through  the  mud  holes.  The  banks  of  tljc  Inkcs  mo 
so  low,  that  small  inundations  arc  frequent,  which  renders 
the  travelling  unpleasant.  On  each  side  of  the  lake  shores 
there  are  many  wind  mills  which  are  rather  a  novel  sight  to 
those  who  have  bfjcn  shut  up  in  the  bush  many  years. 

1  reached  Sandwich,  as  it  is  caUed,  though  it  is  two  miles 
from  the  real  village,  and  is  the  place  of  crossing  the  river  to 
Detroit.  Sandwich  is  not  a  place  of  much  business  ;  how- 
ever, there  arc  a  few  stores,  and  I  saw  a  small  steam  boat, 
a  schooner  and  a  few  small  craft.  Sir  F,  H.  Head's  blast- 
ing political  wind  must  have  reached  this  place.  But  in 
looking  to  the  Detroit  side  of  the  river  the  contrast  was 
great.  The  number  of  steam  boats,  schooners  and  other 
vessels  was  a  proof  tliat  things  were  better  managed  in  ilie 
States  than  in  Canada.  The  Canadians  are  languid,  dis- 
spirited,  and  almost  in  despair,  while  the  States  people  arc 
lively,  energetic-Xiftteip rising,  and  with  every  hope  of  suc- 
cess. Every  man  appeared  to  have  the  eyes  of  an  eagle, 
and  the  feet  of  a  deer.  The  people  in  Detroit  Z/rc,  and  they 
welcome  others  to  live  with  them. 

No  man  who  has  seen  Canada  and  the  United  States  can 
long  be  at  a  loss  as  to  what  causes  the  contrast  between  the 
two  countries.  The  curse  of  Canada  is  an  unprincipled 
aristocracy,  whose  pretensions  to  superiority  above  other 
settlers,  would  disgust  a  dog.  Many  of  these  woultUhe  aris- 
tocrats came  out  irom  the  old  country  under  the  title  onialf' 
pay  officers^  but  who,  in  fact,  had  commuted  their  pensions 
before  they  left  home,  to  help  to  convey  them  across  the 
Atlantic  ;  and  then  getting  posssession  of  a  few  hundred 
acres  of  wild  land,  thought  themselves  Lords  of  Canada. — 
Many  of  these  have  been  Ensigns  in  the  old  country,  but 
whtvU  they  arrived  in  Canada  they  called  themselves  Cap' 
tains.     For  instance,  in  the  township  of  Adelaide  there  are 


10 


JOURNAL. 


\^ 


I 


I  V 


£ 


V 
I     I:- 


14  ■■ 

!li 


hosts  of  Captains,  while  the  fact  is,  there  is  only  one  captain 
among  thenri  all.  1  mean  Captain  Johnston.  These  pre- 
tended captains  get  put  into  every  office  of  trust  and  profit. 
They  are  slaves  and  sycophants  to  the  Governor,  and  at 
elections  are  the  captains  of  Orange  mobs.  But  there  is 
another  way  in  which  these  men  become  a  nuisance  to  the 
independent  settlers  of  Canada  :  nearly  the  whole  of  them 
become  magistrates,  and  it  is  in  vain  for  reformers  to  expect 
justice  from  such  tory  sycophants.  They  also  form  the 
grpnd  jury  at  the  district  courts,  and  commissioners  of  the 
courts  of  requests.  Such  being  the  state  of  things,  how 
can  an  independent  settler  of  reform  principles  be  comforta- 
ble and  prosper*?  Bad  as  the  above  is,  there  is  another 
curse,  if  possible  still  worse,  I  mean  the  political  priesthood. 
The  government  has  been  sufficiently  crafty,  and  the  priests 
sufficiently  wicked,  to  amalgamate  in  order  to  put  down  re- 
form principles.  The  government  has  hired  that  portion  of 
the  priesthood,  who  appear  to  have  the  greatest  influence. 
For  these  political  priests  think  they  can  serve  God  and 
Mammon  at  the  same  time. 

After  this  digression  I  would  observe  that  from  two  to  ^ 
eight  steam  boats  come  to  Detroit  and  leave  it  every  day, 
besides  a  great  number  of  schooners  and  other  craft.  The 
flow  of  emigration  through  Detroit  to  the  western  states,  is 
often,  as  nearly  as  I  could  ascertain,  two  thousand  per  day. 
One  steam  boat  after  another  came  in,  and  1  thought  they 
never  would  have  done  unloading.  I  asked  on  one  of  these 
boats  how  many  passengers  they  had  brought  from  Buffalo, 
and  they  said  six  hundred.  All  the  houses  of  entertainment 
at  Detroit  are  crowded  to  excess.  This  city  is  well  laid  out, 
ismd  its  buildings  are  of  a  m&gnifir^nt  description.  The 
meat  market  both  pleased  and  eurn  ise^  me.     The  museum 


JOURNAL. 


II 


IS 


is  a  place  of  considerable  interest.     The  curiosities  are  rare, 
and  the  statues  of  great  persons  are  well  executed. 

I  had  intended  to  travel  north  west  from  Detroit  but  I  al- 
tered  my  plan  and  took  the  steam  boat  for  Ohio.     As  we 
sailed  down  the  river  I  endeavoured  to  make  observation  on 
the  surrounding  objects.  The  French  farmers  on  the  Canada 
side  do  not  take  much  pains  to  ornament  their  farms.     The 
land  on  the  shore  for  about  twenty  rods  wide  is  marshy  but 
it  is  not  unhealthy,  indeed  I  was  told  it  is  very  healthy.  The 
land  on  Groose  Island  is  extremely  rich  and  fertile  where  it 
is  cultivated,   and  there  are  some  comfortable    buildings. 
When  we  got  on  Lake  Erie  the  wind  blew  hard  and  the  waves 
ran  high  as  I  thought,  I  was  obliged  to  walk  about  the  deck 
to  keep  sickness  down.      The  bell  rang  and  we  were  sum- 
moned to  pay  our  fare.     The  captain  thought  me  a  curious 
fellow  that  I  did  not  know  whither  I  was  going;  I  paid  my 
passage  to  the  first  port,  but  finding  it  was  Toledo,  I  agreed 
to  be  landed  at  Huron.     We  arrived  at  a  small  village  call- 
ed Manhattan,  three  miles  below  Toledo,  there  is  a  wharf 
and  about  fifty  neatly  built  houses.     A  year  ago  there  was 
not  a  single  habitation:  we  next  reached  Toledo,  and  from 
thence  towards  Sandusky  bay  and  Huron.   We  had  on  board 
a  great  number  of  passengers  returning  from  the  west,  whose 
appearance  was  respectable.     After  some  hesitation  I  enter- 
ed into  a  free  conversation  with  a  respectable  and  intelligent 
gentleman,  who  had  just  traveled  through  Illinois,  Wiscon- 
sin and  Michigan;  and  who  gives  preference  to  Wisconsin 
for  the  fertility  of  its  soil,  its  numerous  navigable  rivers 
and  fine  streams  of  water,  and  for  the  health  of  its  situation. 
It  will  be  open  for  location  next  summer. 

Several  gentlemen  joined  in  the  conversation,  who  were 
not  only  agreeable,  but  ready  to  communicate  any  informa- 
tion I  requested.     The  gentleman  to  whom  I  first  directed 


f , 


12 


JOURNAL. 


my  conversation,  was  rather  surprised  that  a  Canadian 
should  be  on  board  the  United  States  steam  boat,  making 
his  way  to  the  United  States.  I  told  him  that  I  intended  to 
travel  through  Ohio  and  Indiana  and  he  in  a  very  friendly 
manner  wished  me  success. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  arrived  at  Huron,  wai- 
ters with  glass  lanthorns  came  down  to  meet  us,  calling  out 
that  such  and  such  Hotels  had  good  accommodations.  I 
went  with  the  Ohio  Hotel  waiter  and  obtained  a  good  bed, 
and  slept  till  after  the  sun  was  up  in  the  morning.  Huron 
is  a  growing  place,  there  is  a  good  wharf,  at  the  end  of  which 
there  is  a  light  house.  Steam  boats  call  here  from  Buffalo 
to  Detroit.  Six  schooners  left  it  while  I  stood  on  the  wharf, 
and  five  more  would  leave  in  the  course  of  the  day.  Here 
I  saw  two  thousand  barrels  of  salt,  at  two  and  a  quarter  dol- 
lars per  barrel.  I  took  breakfast  at  the  Hotel  for  which  I 
paid  four  shillings,  and  one  shilling  for  my  bed.  I  left  the 
Huron  town  and  traveled  up  the  river  Huron  fifteen  miles, 
the  land  is  rich  and  the  corn  was  superior  to  any  thing  I  had 
seen.  The  country  was  thickly  settled,  and  small  villas 
were  numerous.  The  Huron  river  is  a  rapid  stream  run- 
ning on  a  bed  of  slate  rock:  the  banks  in  many  places  are 
almost  perpendicular  and  nearly  two  hundred  feet  high. 
Springs  of  water  are  scarce  in  this  part  and  the  weather  was 
very  warm.  I  drank  too  much  water  that  was  not  very  good, 
which  did  not  agree  with  me.  By  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon I  arrived  at  a  village  called  Monroe,  it  stands  partly 
on  the  flats  and  partly  on  a  hill.  There  are  two  Inns,  fine 
brick  buildings,  also  shoe,  tanning  and  waggon  shops ;  also 
a  large  flouring  mill  and  a  saw  mill.  A  rail-road  was  near- 
ly finished  passing  through  this  village,  which  would  greatly 
improve  its  commerce.  ?  ■: 

The  Indian  corn  fields  were  numerous  and  extensive,  and 


JOURNAL. 


It 


/anadian 

making 

ended  to 

friendly 

ron,  wai- 
illing  out 
tions.     I 
ood  bed, 
Huron 
of  which 
Buffalo 
e  wharf, 
Here 
arter  dol- 
r  which  I 
I  left  the 
en  miles, 
ing  I  had 
iail  villas 
3am  run- 
laces  are 
3et  high, 
ither  was 
jry  good, 
;he  after- 
is  partly 
nns,  fine 
>ps ;  also 
^as  near- 
1  greatly 

ive,  and 


for  the  first  time  in  fifteen  years  I  saw  fine  peaches.  To- 
wards night  I  came  to  a  place  called  Bloomfield,  and  it  is 
rightly  named :  the  fruit  was  abundant ;  I  saw  people 
taking  away  waggon  loads  of  peaches  ;  and  the  trees  were 
bending  and  breaking  under  their  fruit.  1  stopped  there  for 
the  night,  and  next  morning  set  off  for  Bucyrus,  distance  of 
45  miles  from  Portland.  The  road  runs  north  and  south,  the 
trees  are  grubbed  up  and  %iiip^  on  each  side,  ihe  road  is1|^^^ 
cast  up  and  good.     In  passing  over  a  stream  that  runs  into  i 

the  Sandusky,  I  entered  into  coversation  with  a  man  that 
was  ploughing ;  he  told  me  he  raised  from  25  to  30  bushels  of 
wheat  on  the  acre,  and  from  50  to  70  bushels  of  corn,  and 
from  30  to  40  bushels  of  oats.  This  man  had  300  acres  and 
100  clear,  but  he  was  dissatisfied  with  his  farm  it  was  wet 
and  muddy  in  the  spring  and  fall.  He  said  he  thought  of 
selling  his  farm  and  going  to  Canado.  He  thought  he 
could  get  6000  dollars  for  his  land  and  1000  dollars  for  his 
loose  property.  He  had  been  six  years  on  his  farm,  and  all 
woods  when  he  entered  on  it.  There  were  but  few  houses 
and  very  little  cleared  when  he  came  there,  but  now  the  im- 
provements join  each  other  for  miles.  Between  this  man 
and  myself  the  following  conversation  took  place. 

Davis.  Have  you  schools  in  this  neighborhood  for  the 
education  of  your  children? 

Friend.  Yes  sir,  we  are  well  provided  with  schools.  Con- 
gress gives  one  section  of  land,  that  is  640  acres  ;  besides 
one  and  a  half  mills  on  the  dollar  land  valuation  for  the 
same  purposes,  and  any  man  that  will  not  give  his  childre"  a 
good  education  is  not  much  thought  of  here.  .  ;^  » >; 

Davis.  Have  you  any  ministers  of  the  gospel  to  preach 
to  you  ? 

Friend.  Yes,  we  have  Methodists,  Baptists,  Lutherans 
and  others.  '  ^  ^-^^ 

a 


ii 


JOURNAL. 


ti- 


lt 


1 


'Ii 
1 


Davis*  And  still  you  want  to  go  to  Canada.  I  have  land 
in  Canada  and  I  will  trade  or  exchange  with  you. 

Friend.  I  declare,  and  you  are  a  Canadian.  Now  1  want 
to  hear  all  about  it.  But  are  you  a  man  that  can  be  depend- 
ed on  ?  ''•'■"■   ■'-■-''^  Mi*•4.^•-'^^  h'':'':-.-rs-..:''^. 

Davis,  That  is  not  for  me  to  say,  but  if  you  will  go  over 
to  Canada  where  I  reside  you  can  ask  of  my  character. 
^3^l*     Friend.  Well  is  Canad#INg#od  country  ? 

Davis.  Yes  sir,  if  it  had  fair  play. 

Friend.  Why  you  make  me  stare.  Has  it  not  a  good  go- 
vernment? 

Davis.  As  to  that  there  is  difference  of  opinion,  but  if  you 
had  been  in  London  at  the  last  election,  you  would  have 
seen  a  set  of  government  tools  called  Orange  men,  running 
up  and  down  the  streets  crying  five  pounds  for  a  liberal ;  and 
if  a  man  said  a  word  contrary  to  their  opinion  he  was 
knocked  down.  Many  were  knocked  down  in  this  way  and 
others  threatened  ;  and  all  this  in  the  presence  of  Magis- 
trates, Church  of  England  Ministers  and  Judges,  who 
made  use  of  no  means  to  prevent  such  outrages. 

Friend.  Well  now  Sir,  I  am  done  :  and  rather  than  get 
my  head  broken  I  will  stay  where  I  am.  Here  1  can  tell  my 
thoughts  without  fear.  And  if  the  President  should  take  a 
club  and  strike  me,  I  guess  I  would  make  him  rue  it.  He 
would  be  put  into  our  County  jail  quicker  than  shot.  If 
any  man  should  strike  me  with  a  club,  and  I  lived  in  a  coun- 
try where  they  would  not  give  me  justice  I  would  settle 
matters  with  him  myself;  and  yet  I  never  struck  a  man  in 
my  life. 

I  have  related  this  conversation  to  show  the  difference 
between  a  Downing-street  government,  and  the  Republic 
in  the  United  States.  Suppose  the  President  of  the  United 
States  should  meddle  with  the  election  of  the  people's  rep- 


JOURNAL. 


15 


ave  land 

^  1  want 
depend- 


jo  over 
:er. 


ood  go- 

t  if  you 
Id  have 
unning 
al ;  and 
»e  was 
ay  and 
Magis- 
s,  who 

lan  get 
tell  my 
take  a 
:.  He 
5t.  If 
t  coun- 
I  settle 
nan  in 

Jrence 
public 
Jnited 
3  rep- 


resentatives,  what  would  be  the  consequence  1  I  guess  he 
would  soon  be  in  the  black  hole,  and  something  worse  than 
that.  Sir  F.  B.  Head  told  the  Methodist  Preachers  that  in 
consequence  of  the  election  having  commenced  he  had  only 
just  time  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  their  address.  What 
business  had  Sir  Francis  with  the  election.  If  the  King  of 
England  were  to  interfere  with  the  election  of  members  for 
the  house  of  commons,  how  long  would  he  remain  King  of 
England  1  But  perhaps  Sir  Francis  Head  is  the  best  friend 
Upper  Canada  ever  had.  Let  him  create  a  few  more  rec- 
tories, and  dismiss  all  the  rest  of  the  liberal  magistrates,  let 
him  encourage  the  Orange  faction  a  little  more,  let  him  dis- 
courage education  and  trample  on  the  people's  rights  a  little 
longer,  let  him  insult,  maltreat  and  dupe  the  reformers  of 
I  Upper  Canada  a  little  worse,  and  then  they  will  awake  and 
revenge  the  evils  done  to  them.  When  the  lion  is  once 
aroused  who  shall  hush  him  to  sleep  again  ? 

Before  I  left  my  friend,  who  was  ploughing,  he  informed 
me  that  his  wheat  the  last  year  was  cut  down  when  it  ^y^s 
knee  high,  but  after  all  he  had  plenty  for  his  family  and  400 
bushels  to  sell.  Had  Mr.  Cattermole  or  the  backwoodsman 
near  Goderich,  heard  of  wheat  being  cut  down  in  Ohio,  they 
would  have  sent  word  to  England  that  the  wheat  was  all 
destroyed  in  Ohio,  but  plenty  in  Canada,  fine  crops  on  the 
company's  land,  &c.  &;c. 

I  left  my  friend  ploughing,  and  traveled  on  South.  In 
the  course  of  the  day  I  passed  several  villages,  stores,  me- 
chanics shops  of  all  kinds  suiUkble  for  the  country,  and  a 
number  of  asheries,  where  I  found  salts  half  a  dollar  more*? 
cwt.  than  in  Canada;  I  could  not  account  for  this  as  they 
fetch  a  higher  price  in  Montrteal  than  in  New-York.  I  found 
the  taverns  here  are  too  numerous,  and  their  bad  effects 
were  seen  accordingly. 


i 


16 


JOURNAL. 


"tif  The  weather  was  warm  and  the  water  bad,  but  still  peo- 
ple were  very  healthy.  I  stopped  all  night  with  a  Quaker. 
The  land  here  is  timbered  with  all  the  best  kinds  of  hard 
wood.  Similar  to  ours  in  Canada.  The  foliage  and  herbage 
were  delightful.  Honey  bees  appeared  almost  as  numerous 
as  the  flowers.  After  breakfasting  with  the  quaker  on  the 
Sabbath  day  morning  I  walked  between  one  and  two  miles 
to  Bucyrusthat  I  might  enjoy  the  means  of  grace  ;  and  was 
pleased  to  find  the  place  free  from  intoxication  and  profana- 
tion. I  visited  the  Lutheran  Sunday  School,  which  was 
managed  with  great  propriety,  it  was  kept  in  the  court 
house.  In  this  place  there  were  no  prisoners,  the  happy 
eflects  of  free  institutions.  From  the  Sunday  School  I  went 
to  the  Methodist  Meeting  House,  which  was  full  of  people. 
This  gave  me  a  favorable  opinion  of  the  town.  I  afterwards 
went  to  the  court  house  and  heard  a  most  excellent  sermon 
from  Rev.  i.  2.  I  spent  a  good  part  of  the  rest  of  the  day 
with  a  Mr.  Myers,  County  Treasurer,  whom  I  found  to  be 
full  of  intelligence  and  urbanity.  This  town  is  situated  at 
the  end  of  an  extensive  plain,  the  streets  are  laid  out  at 
right  angles.  Land  here  is  from  10  to  30  dollars  per  acre. 
I  left  Bucyrus  for  Marion  which  is  almost  an  entire  plain. 
Here  are  plenty  of  walnuts  and  hazel  nuts.  Indian  corn  is 
abundant  here,  plenty  of  peaches,  good  brick  buildings,  and 
land  ten  dollars  per  acre.  In  this  place  there  is  good  water 
and  good  wheat  land.  Grist  mills  are  scarce.  Water  mills 
toll  one  tenth,  steam  mills  one  sixth,  and  horse  mills  one 
fourth,  saw  mills  have  one  half,  and  lumber  is  te*"  dollars 
per  thousand.  There  is  no  pine.  Shingles  are  made  of 
oak,  but  do  not  stand  in  the  sun  so  well  as  pine  shingles. 
Marion  is  a  fine  town,  around  which  there  are  plenty  of 
lime  stone  quarries,  from  which  many  houses  are  built. 
The  streets  are  macadamized.     The  horse  mill  is  driven  bv 


JOURNAL. 


It 


Still  peo- 

Quaker. 
s  of  hard 

herDage 
umerous 
jr  on  the 
wo  miles 
and  was 
profana- 
;ich  was 
he  court 
happy 
•I  I  went 

people, 
ervvards 

sermon 
'the  day 
ad  to  be 
uated  at 
d  out  at 
er  acre, 
e  plain, 
corn  is 
igs,  and 
d  water 
er  mills 
lis  one 
dollars 
Jade  of 
lingles. 
enty  of 
e  built, 
ven  bv 


I 


seven  horseS)  and  grinds  40  bushels  of  wheat  per  day,  and 
though  they  give  one  quarter  for  grinding,  more  bread  is 
sold  in  Marior  for  one  shilling,  than  is  sold  in  London 
U.  C.  for  three  shillings.  From  Marion  to  Marysville  is 
28  miles.  Acorns  are  plentiful,  on  which  hogs  are  fed  very 
fat,  except  about  four  weeks,  when  they  are  put  up  and  fed 
on  corn.  Corn  here  is  20  cents  per  bushel  and  pork  five 
dollars  per  hundred,  which  has  been  the  price  for  five  years. 
Pork  can  be  sent  cheaper  from  Ohio  to-  Montreal  than  from 
the  London  Distirct.  The  States  people  can  take  their  pro- 
duce into  our  markets  without  duty,  while  a  heavy  duty  is 
imposed  on  our  produce  if  taken  to  the  States.  This  is 
some  of  the  Legislative  managements  of  Canada,  and  Down- 
ing-8treet   policy,    to  the  detriment  of  the  Canadian   far- 


mers. 


:*'.V 


•HWJr^:?^«:vVt>' 


1  mentioned  this  to  an  American  who  said,  it  was  not 
fair  play  ;  but  said  he,  we  will  protect  our  farmers,  and  if 
the  British  government  will  not  protect  theirs,  that  is  not 
our  fault :  at  the  same  time  we  will  make  hay  while  the  sur 
shines.  I  felt  a  little  touched  at  observing  with  what  com- 
posure he  uttered  his  remarks.  He  was  going  on  to  say, 
**  we  farmers  choose  our  own  governors,  our  awn  se- 
nators, our  own  legislators,  to  make  laws,  to  encourage 
agriculture  and  protect  our  trade"  :  at  which  I  bid  farewell, 
thinking  on  the  bitterness  of  a  Canadian's  situation.  I  re- 
membered that  Mr.  Burwell  said  at  the  hustings  that  it  was 
the  produce  of  the  United  States  which  made  Montreal  such 
a  splendid  city.  Yes,  thought  I,  and  we  poor  farmers  of 
Upper  Canada  are  suffering  in  consequence.  Our  produce 
will  not  pay  for  the  scanty  clothing  purchased  at  the  store, 
and  those  who  have  not  the  fortune  to  taste  of  Sir  Francis 
bread  and  butter,  must  sufler  all  the  miseries  of  poverty. 
After  these  reflections  I  felt  proud  that  we  had  such  a  num- 

2* 


M 


!i!  I    >< 


J  1 


18 


JOURNAL. 


ber  of  independent  men  in  my  country  who  despised  both  Sir 
Francis  and  his  bread  and  butter ;  men  whose  souls  are 
above  sycophantick  treachery  ;  and  whose  object,  is  the 
welfare  of  their  country.  I  traveled  on  till  I  came  to  the 
Scioto,  a  fine  river  in  a  beautiful  country.  This  river  emp- 
ties into  the  Ohio  river  at  Portsmouth.  The  flats  on  this 
river  are  black  and  rich,  producing  fine  corn  and  potatoes  ; 
but  they  are  too  rich  for  wheat.  I  left  the  main  road  and 
crossed  the  river,  and  passed  through  som3  congress  land 
which  is  rich  and  well  timbered.  It  was  a  very  wet  day 
and  the  roads  muddy.  I  arrived  at  an  inn  where  the  good 
man  of  the  house  strongly  pressed  me  to  take  some  brandy, 
but  I  refused,  and  took  some  strong  tea  which  prevented  me 
from  sleeping  for  a  long  time.  The  next  morning  1  reach- 
ed Marysville,  the  county  town  of  the  Union  County. 

There  is  a  court  house,  and  1  remarked  that  all  the  court 
houses  in  Ohio  are  built  alike.  This  town  looks  as  though 
it  had  been  built  in  the  woods.  There  are  some  stone  me- 
chanics shops,  mills,  school  and  meeting  houses.  From 
Marysville  to  Milford,  on  Darby  creek,  the  lands  hilly,  the 
soil  a  heavy  clay,  the  water  not  good,  extensive  meadows 
in  one  of  which  I  saw  seventy  stacks  of  hay.  I  was  told 
that  the  same  farmer  had  three  hundred  acres  of  meadow. 
I  afterwards  reached  a  village  called  Homer.  I  put  up 
with  a  farmer,  a  Mr.  Renyolds,  an  intelligent  man,  who 
gave  me  a  great  deal  of  information.  Mr.  Reynolds  was 
cutting  his  second  crop  of  clover,  which  was  as  heavy  as 
our  first  crop  in  Canada  ;  the  after  grass  was  twelve 
inches  high,  and  very  thick  on  the  ground .  The  orchards 
were  loaded  Wkth  apples  and  peaches;  Mr.  Reynolds  inform- 
ed me  that  when  he  came  to  Ohio  twenty  years  ago  the 
wild  grass  was  seven  feet  high,  but  that  as  the  cattle  eat 
it  down,  tame  grass  succeeded.  Here  they  make  a  great 
deal  of  cheese,  which  sells  for  six  cents  per  pound,  butter 


JOURNAL. 


!• 


i  both  Sir 
souls  are 
:;t,  is  the 
ne  to  the 
iver  emp- 
ts  on  this 
potatoes  ; 
road  and 
'ess  land 
wet  day 
the  good 
J  brandy, 
ented  me 
;  1  reach- 
ty.  *i- 
the  court 
s  though 
tone  me- 
L  From 
lilly,  the 
neadows 
was  told 
meadow. 
[  put  up 
an,  who 
aids  was 
leavy  as 
twelve 
orchards 
5  inform- 
ago  the 
;attle  eat 
>  a  great 
if  butter 


at  one  shilling.  They  make  cheese  to  weigh  sixty  pounds, 
and  some  of  the  farmers  sell  immense  droves  of  cattle;  I 
was  told  that  the  owner  of  one  farm  sold  five  thousand.  I 
met  a  drove  of  four  hundred  going  to  Philadelphia,  Penn- 
sylvania. Waggons  fetch  away  their  cheese  and  butter,  so 
that  they  have  plenty  of  sale  for  their  produce.  In  fact 
Ohio  farmers  know  how  to  get  the  cash  and  keep  it.  The 
settlers  of  Ohio  like  others  had  to  encounter  difficulties  at 
the  first.  But  besides  the  common  troubles  of  a  nevv  settle- 
ment, ihey  told  me  of  the  burning  of  their  property,  the  mur- 
dering their  families  by  the  Indians,  who  were  set  on  they  said 
by  the  defender  of  the  faith,  and  head  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land. This  aroused  my  feelings,  as  I  was  a  British  subject. 
But  if  they  had  laid  the  blame,  as  they  ought  to  have  done, 
on  the  bench  of  bishops  and  their  associates,  they  would 
have  done  right.  The  king  however  has  to  bear  all  the 
blame  of  the  unchristian  and  inhuman  measures  of  the 
church  of  England  Bishops.  ^:-.^^' .  'Mn-' 

I  could  not  help  wishing  that  our  king  had  not  so  many 
ecclesiastical  titles,  for  as  he  is  the  head  of  their  church,  the 
bishops  father  on  him  all  their  wickedness.  I  remembered 
that  the  House  of  Lords  said  that  they  had  a  right  to  em- 
ploy all  the  means  that  God  and  nature  had  put  in  their 
power  to  exterminate  the  rebels.  Some  suppose  that  these 
bishops  are  in  the  House  of  Lords  as  the  defenders  of  hu- 
manity, as  the  ambassadors  of  Christ.  But  they  have 
proved  themselves,  a  thousand  times  over,  to  be  the  deter- 
mined opposers  of  human  rights,  the  enemies  of  good  go- 
vernment, the  greatest  sticklers  for  aristocratical  influence, 
the  tyrants  of  the  poor,  and  the  encouragers  of  war  and 
bloodshed.         ^^^^  =  - 

Through  whose  influence  did  England  wage  war  with 
America,  with  France,  and  other  European  countries  %  Ask 


20 


JOURNAL. 


1  J 


m 


the  clergy  of  the  established  church.  Wherever  free  prin- 
ciples gain  the  ascendancy,  down  falls  the  tower  of  aristo- 
cracyi  and  an  end  is  put  to  the  union  of  church  and  state. 
Ah  !  this  is  the  reason  why  the  weak  and  harmless  bishops 
encouraged  the  Indians  to  scalp  the  democracy  of  America. 
The  parsons  had  rather  all  the  liberals  in  his  Majesty's  do- 
minions were  butchered  than  they  lose  their  fat  livings. 

Groceries  in  Ohio  were  very  dear  in  1820,  tea  from  two 
to  four  dollars  per  pound,  and  salt  from  two  to  four  dollars 
a  bushel  ;  at  present,  tea  half  a  dollar  per  pound,  and  salt 
two  and  a  quarter  dollars  a  barrel.  Formerly  it  took  four 
or  five  weeks  to  go  lo  New-York  or  Philadelphia,  which  can 
be  performed  now  in  a  week.  So  much  for  Yankee  enter- 
prise, and  so  much  for  mobocracy,  as  our  Solicitor  General 
terms  it.  But  when  will  he  effect  as  much  by  his  Orange- 
club-ocracy  in  Canada?  Ciubs  are  poor  things  to  improve 
a  country  with.  »*?  f  .^ 

While  I  was  making  a  few  remarks  on  the  beauty  of  the 
country,  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  dec,  my  friendly  host,  Mr. 
Reynolds,  told  me  not  to  forget  to  notice  the  trembling  sick- 
ness, which  prevails  in  some  places  in  Ohio.  This  sickness 
is  supposed  by  some  to  be  caused  by  certain  places  of  wa- 
ter ;  others  think  it  is  caused  by  an  herb.  Cattle  have  died 
in  great  numbers  at  different  times..  Also  some  people  have 
died  in  consequence  of  drinking  the  milk  of  cows  that  had 
the  sickness.  However,  from  precaution,  farmers  gene- 
rally preserve  their  cattle. 

I  left  Darby  Plains  for  Urbana,  and  on  the  road  the  fruit 
was  so  plentiful  that  the  hogs  fed  on  it.  'The  land,  from 
Milford  to  Urbana,  was  partly  hills  and  partly  flats.  The 
flats  were  very  rich.  The  water  was  clear  and  good,  the 
farms  were  well  cultivated,  and  the  farm  houses  built  in  good 
farming  fashion,  with  rows  of  cherry  trees  in  front.     The 


JOURNAL. 


21 


ree  pnn- 
f  aristo- 
id  state. 
I  bishops 
\merica. 
sty's  do- 
ngs. 

rom  two 
r  dollars 
and  salt 
ook  four 
hich  can 
ee  enter- 
General 
Orange- 
improve 

ty  of  the 
host,  Mr. 
ling  sick- 
sickness 
»  of  wa- 
rn ve  died 
)ple  have 
that  had 
rs  gene- 

the  fruit 
id,  from 
;s.  The 
[ood,  the 
;  in  good 
It.     The 


corn  fields  were  very  largo  and  fine,  and  the  buckwheat 
looked  well,  and  ready  for  harvesting.  I  should  think  thcro 
would  be  fifty  bushels  per  acre.  The  frost  had  not  touched 
it  yet,  which  was  the  16th  September.  At  the  same  date 
the  frosts  had  done  a  great  deal  of  harm  in  Canada.  I  now 
arrived  at  the  beautiful  town  of  Urbana,  situated  in  a  volley 
that  runs  north  and  south.  My  first  view  of  the  town 
was  delightful.  The  houses  were  built  of  stone  or  brick,  or 
handsome  frame  ones,  all  of  which  were  decorated  in  vari- 
ous ways.  The  court  house  looked  well,  but  the  public 
square  was  too  small.  There  was  one  building  which  at- 
tracted my  attention.  It  was  magnificent  and  had  a  very 
lofty  steeple,  and  a  piazza  or  portico  in  front,  ornamented. 
This  was  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Chapel.  A  Methodist 
meeting  house,  said  I  to  myself.  But  what  was  the  steeple 
for  ?  That  was  a  secret  I  could  not  find  out.  This  is  a 
modern  invention  among  Methodists.  What  popery  amongst 
Methodists.  In  days  of  yore,  the  good  old  people  would 
not  have  liked  the  steeple  house.  I  hope  the  good  folks  have 
not  sent  the  steeple  up  to  heaven  as  a  substitute  for  their 
prayers.  Suppose  the  money  that  built  the  steeple  had 
been  applied  to  the  missionary  cause,  and  some  poor  pagans 
had  been  converted  to  God  through  its  instrumentality, 
which  would  have  been  most  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God? 
If  the  American  Methodists  should  imitate  the  English  in 
giving  to  the  conference  preachers  gold  and  silver  medals, 
what  would  become  of  the  missionary  cause  ?  However, 
the  one  conference  cannot  complain  of  the  other  :  the  Ame- 
rican Methodists  have  steeple  houses y  and  the  English  Me- 
thodists have  gold  and  silver  medals.  The  next  day  after  I 
had  seen  the  steeple  house,  I  observed,  in  a  newspaper,  an 
advertisement  from  the  Treasurer  of  the  Methodist  Mis- 
sionary Society,  requesting  sixty-five  thousand  dollars  to 


22 


JOURNAL. 


.a* 


aid  in  their  missionary  work.     Now  I  thought  of  the  stee- 
ple money.     Said  I  to  myself,  apply  the  steeple  money. 

I  left  Urbana  late  in  the  afternoon  and  crossed  Mad 
River,  and  it  is  rightly  named,  for  it  runs  like  fury  along 
the  road  side.  Here  I  saw  a  number  of  emigrants  who 
were  on  their  way  to  the  south  west.  They  were  all  busy 
taking  care  of  their  horses,  cooking  their  suppers,  &c. — 
About  half  an  hour  after  dark  I  arrived  at  Westville,  where 
I  stopped  for  the  night.  At  the  first,  1  had  some  rough 
whiskey  drinkers,  who  were  not  very  agreeable,  so  1  left 
the  house  and  went  to  another  a  mile  off,  where  I  slept  all 
night  The  house  is  a  beautiful  brick  building,  with  fine 
cultivated  land  in  front,  and  farm  house  equal  to  the  hotel, 
which  house,  the  landlord  said,  he  earned  by  attending  a 
saw  mill,  and  which  cost  two  thousand  dollars.  And,  said 
he,  I  am  as  comfortable  and  as  independent  as  the  presi- 
dent. :^M-y'i    ..«^  ■4'>'   ;^,:i^'"-:':.     I'l  ^rjert-;  v"j  3'jj7r'' -J- 

Between  Urbana  and  Sidney  the  country  is  hilly  and 
well  watered,  and  there  are  plenty  of  grist  and  saw  mills. 
The  country  has  been  settled  twenty  years.  The  buildings 
are  handsome,  and  the  orchards  fruitful.  Apple  trees  will 
grow  more  in  three  years  in  Ohio  than  they  will  in  five 
years  in  Canada. 

I  now  turned  towards  home  and  travelled  north-west  un- 
til I  reached  Trenton,  a  small  town  in  the  woods,  consisting 
of  a  store,  two  taverns,  three  groceries,  and  about  the  same 
number  of  other  houses.  This  was  a  place  of  drunkards, 
and  I  left  it  for  Sidney.  I  travelled  down  the  Musketo 
Creek  until  I  came  to  the  Big  Miana  river,  which  I  crossed 
to  Sidney.  The  engineer  had  jast  finished  laying  out  the 
feeder  to  a  canal  which  is  to  run  through  the  town,  and 
when  completed  is  to  connect  Cincinnati  with  the  Maumee 
river.     This  canal  will  be  finished  in  about  three  years. 


JOURNAL. 


23 


the  stee- 
loney. 
ised  Mad 
iiry  along 
ints  who 
Q  all  busy 
rs,  6lc. — 
lie,  where 
ne  rough 
,  so  1  left 

I  slept  all 
with  fine 
the  hotel, 
tending  a 
And,  said 
the  presi- 

hilly  and 
aw  mills, 
buildings 
trees  will 

II  in  five 

-west  un- 
;onsisting 

the  same 
runkards, 

Musketo 

I  crossed 
g  out  the 
)wn,  and 

Maumee 
ee  years. 


\ 


The  country  here  is  well  timbered  ;  oak,  walnut,  shell  bark 
hickory,  &c.,  are  plentiful.  The  plan  of  clearing  the  land 
is  by  girdling  the  trees,  getting  a  crop  of  corn,  then  a  crop 
of  wheat,  and  seeding  it  down.  When  the  trees  arc  dead 
they  are  cut  down  and  burnt  up.  '         ^      /.  -*  / 

I  travelled  towards  St.  Mary's  until  I  came  to  a  Dutch 
settlement  having  two  towns.  Bremen  is  a  Catholic  place. 
They  have  a  priest  and  a  log  chapel.  One  thing  I  wish  to 
inform  my  Canadian  friends  concerning  these  people.  Their 
shoes  are  made  of  wood  without  any  leather  about  them  : 
so  that  there  is  no  danger  of  their  going  bare  foot  From 
the  Dutch  settlement  to  St.  Mary's  is  about  six  miles,  and 
the  land  is  good  for  all  kinds  of  grain.  I  got  to  St.  Mary's 
on  Sunday  morning.  St.  Mary's  is  a  small  town  on  a  river 
of  the  same  name.  These  people,  like  all  I  had  seen, 
looked  ahead  for  prosperity,  and  are  seldom  disappointed, 
as  the  legislature  encourage  the  people  ;  but  we  are  very 
differently  treated  by  our  Conadian  legislature. 

The  canal  will  go  through  St.  Mary's  which  will  greatly 
assist  its  progress  in  prosperity.  The  road  from  St.  Mary's 
to  Fort  Wayne  runs  north-west.  The  land  in  general  is 
low,  and  some  swampy  ;  therefore,  the  roads  are  bad,  par- 
ticularly as  emigration  wagons  ?re  constantly  passing  to  Il- 
linois. Here  I  met  with  a  Mr.  Rathbun,  and  a  Mr.  IVn^i  v- 
ell,  with  ten  horses,  one  of  which  I  mounted  and  rode  with 
them,  and  had  a  grea^  deal  of  conversation  with  the  emi- 
grants as  we  passed  along.  We  reached  Shanes'  Plains, 
which  were  level  and  handsome.  The  corn  crops  were 
good,  and  they  had  great  quantities  of  water  melons. 
There  is  a  small  town  at  the  west  end  of  the  plains,  called 
Shanesville,  in  1  onor  of  the  celebrated  Indian  Chief  Anthony 
Shanes.  This  ShanA  performed  many  feats  in  the  war 
with  the  British,  and  is  at  present  in  the  service  of  the 


JOURNAL. 


I  ' 


! 


|i 


Uni  cd  States,  beyond  the  Mississippi,  acting  as  interpreter. 
Tn  this  part  of  the  country  tiiere  is  plenty  of  shell  bark 
hickory  and  walnut,  from  which  vast  quantities  of  nuts  fall 
on  the  ground,  and  hogs  feed  on  them.  The  small  bushes 
were  wove  together  with  small  summer  vines,  such  as 
morning  glor^ ,  wild  buckwheat  and  touch-me-not ;  also, 
great  numbers  of  deqr,  partridges  and  quails. 

We  now  come  to  Wilkeshire,  the  place  where  Mr.  Riley 
lived  after  his  captivity  among  the  Arabs  in  Africa,  in  the 
deserts  of  Zahara.  This  place  he  named  after  Mr.  Wilkc" 
who  bought  his  freedom  from  the  Arabs.  We  then  crossed 
the  river  St.  Mary's,  and  stopped  at  a  house  of  entertain- 
ment on  the  east  side.  The  landlord  of  this  house  made 
some  remarks  in  answer  to  a  question  of  mine,  that  exactly 
pleased  me.  He  said  that  he  had  no  more  than  eighty 
acres  of  land,  and  he  wanted  no  more,  as  he  preferred  the 
society  of  his  fellow  men  to  having  large  tracts  of  land, 
which  was  a  principle  on  which  they  wished  to  settle  the 
TTnited  States.  How  different  is  this  man's  principle  from 
that  of  the  aristocracy  of  Upper  Canada,  who  would  like  to 
have  in  possession  all  the  land,  and  the  poor  men  as  their 
vassals.  This  is  what  has  almost  ruined  England,  Scot- 
land and  Ireland. 

Hence,  poor  people  who  wish  to  leave  their  children  free 
from  aristocratical  slavery,  emigrate  to  America.  What  a 
blessing  that  this  western  world  was  found  out,  and  that  an 
all-wise  providence  has  fcund  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed. 
The  Canadians  want  only  to  throw  off  the  trammels  of  a 
selfish,  haughty  and  detestable  oligarchy,  and  then  they  will 
live  and  breathe  a  free  atmosphere.  But,  before  we  can 
enjoy  this  freedom  we  must  have  elective  institutions.  So 
long  as  our  great  officers  are  chosenfty  a  tyrann'zing  Go- 
vernor, like  Sir  F.  B.  Head,  we  may  expect  to  be  in  bond- 


* 


JOURNAL. 


25 


terpreter. 
lell  bark 
nuts  fall 
11  bushes 
such  as 
ot ;  also, 

■..(V     •  '.•,■.  ■■ 

Ir.  Riley 
3a,  in  the 

Wilke'^ 
n  crossed 
entertain- 
use  made 
it  exactly 
in  eighty 
erred  the 

of  land, 
settle  the 
iple  from 
lid  like  to 
n  as  their 
nd,  Scot- 

Idren  free 
What  a 
id  that  an 
ppressed. 
nels  of  a 
thev  will 
e  we  can 
ons .  So 
'zing  Go- 
j  in  bond- 


age. What  a  contrast  between  Ohio  and  Upper  Canada! 
Ohio  was  first  settled  in  1788,  and  it  now  contains  more 
than  1,300,000  inhabitants,  has  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
of  canal  navigation,  which  cost  upwards  of  five  millions  of 
dollais,  besides  a  vast  length  of  rail  road,  and  a  great  deal 
both  of  rail  road  and  canal  work  going  on.  Ohio  has  also 
eight  chartered  colleges,  three  of  which  are  universities  well, 
supported.  Congress  has  appropriated  for  common  schools 
in  Ohio,  678,576  acres  of  land,  worth  one  thousand  five^ 
hundred  dollars,  besides  a  tax  on  all  taxable  property  of 
iree  fourths  of  a  mill  upon  the  dollar.  Now,  Upper 
Canada  has  been  settling  much  longer  than  Ohio,  and  yet 
the  population  of  Upper  Canada  is  at  present  no  more  than 
365,312,  and  no  canal  worth  mentioning,  and  no  rail  road, 
neither  has  it  any  college  except  one  on  partial  principles, 
for  the  use  of  the  Church  of  England  folks,  or  the  great 
folks,  and  which  has  created  much  dissatisfaction  in  the 
province.  And  as  for  common  schools,  the  aristocracy  hate 
them,  and  therefore,  will  not  encourage  them.  My  chil- 
dren are  without  education,  and  must  rem? in  so,  unless  1 
shift  my  quarters.  The  fact  is,  the  aristocracy  dread  the 
common  people  getting  education,  well  knowing  that  know- 
ledge is  power,  and  that  power  which  always  destroys  tory- 
ism.  No  man  can  remain  a  tory  except  through  selfishness 
or  ignorance.  Knowledge  frees  a  nation — ignorance  en- 
slaves it !  Then  give  to  Upper  Canada  knowledge  and 
she  will  be  FREE  !      •..  v.^  ...  • 

We  travelled  on  till  we  cam'^  to  Indiana — the  roads  were 
still  muddy.  The  manner  of  clearmg  land  here  is  rather 
different  than  in  Canada;  only  the  underbrush  and  smaller 
trees  to  a  foot  in  diameter  are  cut  down,  tiie  larger  ones  are 
girdled  and  left  to  rot^  in  this  way  they  get  good  crops  of 
corn  and  other  grain.     Emigrants  were  still  very  numerous, 

3 


26 


JOURNAL. 


( ii^  1 


If  m 


!! 


and  all  things  seemed  to  go  on  well.     We  came  to  a  house 
of  entertainment,  but  as  dinner  was  over,  we  made  a  very 
good  one  of  bread  and  honey.     Honey  is  very  plentiful 
here.     We  arrived  at  a  Scotch  settlement  which  appeared 
very   prosperous — it   is   of  two   years'   cultivation.     The 
Scotch  can  get  ready  sale  for  their  produce.     The  next  town 
we  reached    was   Wayne.     But   as   the  houses   were   so 
crowded  we  had  to  go  back  half  a  mile  to  get  lodgings. 
..    In  the  morninff  my   kind   companions,  one   of  whose 
horses  I  rode,  left  me,  and  I  must  say  thatj^^^a^orry  at 
parting   with  them,  and   I  believe  they  with  me.     They 
wished  me  very  much  to  accompany  them  to  the  Michigan 
City,  on  Lake  Michigan,  but  I  could  not.     I  remained  at 
Wayne  two  days  making  arrangements  to  go  dov/n  the  river 
Maumee  to  Toledo.     Wayne  is  situated  at  the  junction  of 
St.  Joseph's  and  St.  Mary's  rivers,  entering  the  Maumee. — 
The  town  is  built  on  a  high  hill  facing  the  north  west,  on  the 
Wabash  and  Erie  Canal.     This  canal  was*  in  operation, 
and  the  boats  were  built  n3atly  for  the  accommodation  of 
passengers  ;  the  canal  was  open  to  Huntington,  a  distance 
of  twenty-four  miles,  and  after  a  little  time,  would  be  open 
sixty  miles.     From  Wayne  the  canal  runs  south  west  and 
is  carried  over  St.  Mary's  river  by  an  aqueduct  of  oak. — 
Wayne  is  a  town  of  considerable  importance,  it  has  some 
good  buildings,  places  of  public  worship,  &;c.,  but  only  two 
Inns,  which  are  constantly  filled  with  people,  chiefly  em'- 
grants.     Flour  ten  dollars  per  barrel,  pork  twenty  dollars 
per  barrel,  .jatter  and  cheese  twenty-five  cents  per  lb.    The 
land  oflSce  was  constantly  full  of  land  buyers,  who  bought 
their  land,  paid  down  their  money,  and  took  away  their 
deeds  with  them.     I  thought  this  was  the  right  way  of  do- 
ing business.  «r*  >.     -^    V    'pl-y^  ,.  t 

Almost  every  traveller  had  a  travelling  map  with  him, 


JOURNAL. 


27 


to  a  house 
ade  a  very 
plentiful 
1  appeared 

ion.     The 

next  town 
were   so 
Igings. 

of  whose 
IS  sorry  at 
le.     They 

Michigan 
mained  at 
n  the  river 
unction  of 
faumee. — 
est,  on  the 
operation, 
lodation  of 
a  distance 
J  be  open 

west  and 

of  oak. — 

has  some 

only  two 
iefly  em.*- 
ty  dollars 
•lb.  The 
10  bought 
i^ay  their 
ay  of  do- 

irith  him, 


and  sometimes  twenty  maps  would  be  open  on  tho  tables  at 
one  time.  Indiana  will  be  a  flouri'^hing  state  in  a  few  years, 
as  the  legislature  makes  every  exertion  for  the  good  of  the 
people.  Last  year  they  granted  a  loan  ot  fifteen  millions 
and  a  half  of  dollars  for  public  improvement,  besides  a  mil- 
lion and  a  half  of  dollars  of  surplus  revenue  returned  them 
by  congress.  When  will  the  legislature  of  Upper  Canada 
return  a  like  sum  to  the  people  1  Here  is  a  contrast  between 
aristocracy  and  democracy.  Let  the  Upper  Canada  O  range 
mob  government  bewail  their  public  sins,  and  take  pattern 
from  tl  wir  republican  neighbors.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  the  system  of  government  in  the  United  States  is  not 
clogged  with  the  banelul  influence  of  Lord  Bishops,  and 
very  reverend  arch  deacons.  Nor  are  their  elections  pes- 
tered with  an  established  clergy.  Let  Canadians  judge  why 
there  is  prosperity  in  the  States  and  poverty  in  Canada.— 
Wayne  will  be  a  flourishing  place  when  the  Erie  and  Wa- 
bash Canal  is  finished.  From  Wavne  to  Toledo  it  is  to  be 
seventy-two  feet  wide  and  eight  feet  water,  suitable  for 
steamboats.  A  rail  road  is  to  be  made  from  Dayton  to 
Wilkshire,  and  another  from  Wilkshire  ^-  Wayne,  and 
another  from  Wayne  to  Michigan  ;  so  that  there  will  be  a 
direct  communication  from  Cincinnati  to  Lake  Michigan. — 
The  money  that  is  wasted  on  an  Orange  club  government  in 
Canada,  is  employed  in  the  improvement  of  the  country  in 
the  States.  A  small  town  lot  in  Wayne,  two  years  ago, 
sold  for  two  hundred  dollars,  and  the  same  lot,  without  any 
buildings  on  it,  was  sold  a  few  days  before  my  arrival,  for 
seven  thousand  dollars.  A  colored  man  sold  eighty  acres 
for  nine  hundred  dollars;  two  years  before,  he  bought  it  at 
government  price.  He  had  only  cleared  five  acres.  He 
bought  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  more  for  four  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  had  five  hundred  dollars  to  begin  with.     1 


Bifl 


28 


JOURNAL. 


mention  these  as  examples  among  the  thousands  of  others. 
Land  in  Canada  often  decreases  in  value  instead  of  increas- 
ing. When  will  people  open  their  eyes  ?  What  man's 
property  in  Upper  Canada,  increases  in  the  same  ratio  with 
the  United  States  property  ? 

After  viewing  the  remains  of  the  old  fort,  and  walking 
over  the  graves  of  the  unfortunate  men  who  fell  in  the  war, 
I  and  eight  others  descended  the  Maumee  river,  in  a  canoe, 
which  was  rather  a  troublesome  task.  Some  part  of  the 
time  was  very  rainy,  and  we  were  sometimes  in  the  dark, 
which  made  it  difficult  to  find  a  house  of  entertainment. 
The  Maumee  is  a  smooth  river,  and  the  land  well  timbered. 
We  reached  Defiance  which  is  a  small  town  one  hundred 
miles  from  Wayne,  by  water.  Fort  Defiance  was  built  by 
general  Wayne,  who  said  when  it  was  finished,  "we  defy 
the  British,  the  Indians,  and  the  infernal  adversary  himselF'; 
from  which  circumstance  the  fort  took  its  name.  Defiance. 
Here  we  bought  a  canoe,  and  four  of  us  pursued  our  course 
down  the  river  which  gets  broader,  in  some  places  it  is  half 
a  mile  wide.  The  settlements  from  Defiance  have  an  old 
appearance,  the  houses  and  barns  looked  Yankee  fashion, 
neat  and  comfortable.  The  steam  saw  mills  were  numerous 
and  worked  well.  As  there  is  no  pine  they  saw  white  wood, 
bass,  walnut,  oak,  &c.  Price  froi.i  ten  to  fifteen  dollars  per 
thousand  feet.  We  met  a  great  number  of  canoes  loaded 
with  merchandise  and  emigrants  ;  they  had  a  great  deal  of 
salt :  I  saw  sixteen  barrels  of  salt  in  one  canoe,  and  two 
men  worked  it.  We  arrived  at  a  place  called  Neapolian, 
the  intended  county  seat  of  Henry  County.  We  next  arri- 
ved at  Rice  Flats,  the  river  was  very  wide,  and  rice 
grew  in  about  four  feet  water;  Geese  and  Ducks  were  plen- 
tiful, they  fed  on  the  rice.  After  passing  through  the  rice 
beds  we  came  to  the  rapids,  and  as  it  was  dark,  we  put  to 


JOURNAL. 


29 


f  Others, 
f  increas- 
at  rKan's 
atio  with 

walking- 
the  war, 
a  canoe, 
rt  of  the 
he  dark, 
ainment. 
imbered. 
hundred 

built  by 
'we  defy 
imselP'; 
)efiance. 
r  course 
t  is  half 

an  old 
fashion, 
imerous 
3  wood, 
lars  per 

loaded 

deal  of 
nd  two 
polian, 
xt  arri- 
\  rice 
e  plen- 
he  rice 

put  to 


shore  for  the  night.  At  this  place  was  a  steam  boat 
called  the  Phenomenon,  fitted  up  in  beautiful  style,  and 
would  carry  forty  tons,  and  draw  no  more  than  eighteen 
inches  water.  In  the  evening  we  heard  a  deal  of  firing 
and  found  when  we  came  to  a  small  village  called  Gilcad, 
that  they  had  been  blasting  rocks  for  a  mill  race.  It  is 
astonishing  how  quickly  villages  rise  up  in  the  United 
States.  One  would  wonder  where  all  the  people  come 
from.  '  .  :,, 

Sir  F.  B .  Head  told  us  last  summer  how  the  United 
States  got  people.  He  said  the  people  were  flying  in  all  di- 
rections from  Canada.  True,  Sir  Francis,  the  people  were 
flying  to  the  cities  of  refuge,  for  no  refuge  could  be  found 
in  Canada.  If  Sir  Francis  wished  to  attract  emigrants  into 
Canada,  he  should  not  refuse  to  sign  road  bills,  school  bills, 
and  other  bills  for  improvement.  If  a  dense  population 
makes  a  country  rich.  Sir  Francis  intends  to  keep  Upper 
Canada  poor.  He  loves  to  live  amongst  paupers^  and  to 
govern  them,  even  amidst  "pestilence  and  famine." 

On  the  following  morning  we  prepared  to  go  down  the 
rapids,  which  in  consequence  of  having  but  little  water  over 
the  rocks  we  found  it  difficult  to  get  the  canoe  over  them  : 
and  indeed  the  inhabitants  told  us  we  could  not  get  over. 
About  four  miles  below  the  head  of  the  rapids,  the  river  is 
divided  by  a  large  island  about  two  miles  long,  and  the 
water  is  deep  and  still:  on  the  island  were  a  number  of 
Indian  wigwams,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  river  were  a 
number  of  apple  trees,  the  remains  of  Indian  orchards.  Se- 
veral Indians  were  in  canoes  hunting  ducks  for  their  break- , 
fast:  the  squaws  paddled  the  canoes  and  the  Indian  men 
shot  the  ducks.  The  wigwams  on  the  island,  and  the  beau- 
tiful houses  on  the  main  land  formed  a  striking  contrast 
between  uncivilized  and  civilized  life.     The  farms  on  the 

3* 


I    :| 


I  1 


I  1 


ml 


i\ 


W  ^'1 

ill:" 


30 


JOURNAL. 


sides  cf  the  river  look  delightful  in  sailing  down  the  river. 
We  next  came  to  an  island,  on  each  side  of  which,  mill 
dams  were  made  to  the  main  land,  and  blocked  up  the  navi- 
gation; however  we  ventured  down  an  apron,  where  the 
water  flowed  with  great  rapidity,  and  succeeded  in  getting 
over  safely.  After  sailing  some  distance  wo*  came  to  the 
battle  ground,  where  General  Wayne  and  the  Indians  had 
a  terrible  engagement.  There  are  several  tales  told  of  this 
battle  which  I  could  not  believe  and  therefore  will  not  write 
them.  Several  of  the  Upper  Canada  Loyalists  who  fought 
in  this  war,  were  induced  to  leave  the  United  States,  and 
emigrate  to  Upper  Canada  for  the  sake  of  living  under  the 
British  government;  in  doing  which  they  suffered  long  and 
untold  hardships,  after  which,  in  the  present  day,  under 
the  government  of  Sir  F.  B.  Head,  these  same  Upper 
Canada  Loyalists  or  their  children  are  told  that  they  are 
rebels,  and  at  election  are  driven  from  the  hustings  with 
clubs  by  the  Irish  Orange  tory  mob.  And  instead  of  en- 
joying the  blessings  of  the  British  constitution,  they  are 
told  by  Sir  Francis  they  can  not  have  them,  *'the  British 
Government  have  ordained  no  such  absurdities." 

We  proceeded  down  the  river  till  we  came  to  Fort  Meigs, 
though  there  is  nothing  except  the  ruins  of  the  fort  to  see. 

The  land  looks  beautiful  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee, 
and  the  fort  is  elevated  sixty  or  a  hundred  feet  above  the 
river.  The  place  of  interment  of  those  who  fell  in  the  war 
may  be  plainly  seen,  and  quantities  of  human  bones  are  to 
be  seen  above  ground.  Something  more  than  a  mile  down 
♦the  north  bank  of  the  river  is  Fort  Miami,  which  was  occu- 
pied by  the  British  and  Indians;  it  is  equally  elevated,  but 
not  so  beautifully  situated.  Here  also  is  Maumee  city, 
delightfully  situated;  the  houses  were  all  new.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  improvement  going  on  at  this  place.     On 


JOURNAL. 


31 


Ihe  river, 
nch,  mill 
|the  navi- 
'here  the 
getting 
le  to  the 
lians  had 
>ld  of  this 
not  write 
0  fought 
ates,  and 
under  the 
long  and 
under 

le  Upper 
they  are 

ings  with 

ad  of  en- 
they  are 

le  British 

rt  Meigs, 
't  to  see. 
Maumee, 
ibove  the 
I  the  war 
es  are  to 
lile  down 
ms  occu- 
ated,  but 
lee  city, 
There 
ce.     On 


the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  a  mile  from  fort  Meigs  stands 
Perrysburg,  elevated  on  a  nice  hill,  and  the  houses  are  or- 
namented by  piazzas  in  front,  and  the  Inns  are  fitted  up  in 
a  princely  style,  the  stores,  printing  offices,  and  mechanics 
shops,  are  numerous,  and  increasing.  They  are  making 
wharves  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  there  could  not  be  fewer 
than  fifty  in  twelve  miles.  The  men  who  work  at  these 
wharves  get  from  75  to  125  cents  per  day;  many  of  these 
men  are  from  the  old  country,  who,  by  industry  and  econo- 
my soon  rise  in  the  world,  and  out  Yankee  the  Yankees. 
They  will  tell  the  Yankees  they  are  Americans,  because 
they  were  born  so :  but,  say  they,  we  are  Americans  from 
Choice  :  and  therefore  we  are  the  best  citizens. 

In  the  river  between  Perrysburg  and  Maumee  city,  there 
is  an  island  of  about  seventy  acres  which  is  planted  with 
corn,  which  looked  exceedingly  well,  and  almost  ready  for 
harvesting  :  it  was  supposed  there  would  be  eighty  bushels 
per  acre.  A  little  below  Perrysburg  there  is  a  ferry,  where 
a  horse  boat  takes  over  people,  cattle,  wagons,  &c.  Great 
numbers  were  on  each  side  of  the  river  waiting  to  go  over; 
many  of  these  were  emigrants,  whose  respectability  we  could 
not  help  noticing,  and  we  observed  to  each  other  what  a 
country  this  would  be  fifty  years  to  come.  The  Americans 
said  to  me,  you  may  boast  of  the  good  situation  of  Canada 
and  of  your  British  government;  but  look  at  your  titled 
governor,  your  Upper  House  of  parliament,  saddled  with  a 
Lord  Bishop,  Roman  Catholic  Bishop,  an  Archdeacon,  a 
state-paid  clergy,  and  officers  chosen  by  your  King,  or 
Secretary  from  the  Aristocracy,  without  allowing  the  people 
to  have  a  voice  in  their  appointment.  These  prerogatives  are 
not  allowed  to  be  touched;  these  Aristocrats  grasp  at  all  the 
power  they  can  get,  and  will  not  make  a  single  concession 
Canadian,  you  may  look;  are  you  getting  angry  ?  It  is  the 


M  : 


/ill 


f 

I   I 

i 


,1 


L 


32 


JOURNAL. 


truth  and  you  cannot  deny  it.  We  can  boast  of  our  Ameri- 
can institutions  :  look  where  you  will,  and  you  will  find  all 
activity  and  enterprise.  Our  internal  improvements  are 
without  parallel  in  the  world.  Monarchical  governments 
extend  their  dominions  by  conquests,  but  we  by  purchase 
and  emigration.  Since  our  Independence  we  have  added  to 
our  territory  East  and  West  Florida,  which  cost  us  fivo 
millions  of  dollars,  and  Louisiana,  which  cost  us  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars  :  and  we  have  paid  the  money.  It  costs 
more  to  support  the  English  Church  government,  than  it 
does  to  maintain  the  American  civil  government,  with  all 
her  armies  and  navies  :  and  what  better  does  religion  pros- 
per in  the  British  Empire  than  in  the  United  States  of 
America?     .  ■,^,..-.,.:i-:  ,.  ^ ,_  -.-^^a,-....  --„vf:-  ...;~..  r,:. 

We  had  now  got  a  considerable  distance  down  the  river 
among  more  rice  beds  where  there  was  plenty  of  geese  and 
ducks  feeding  and  flying.  We  met  one  sloop  and  one 
steam  boat  which  was  intended  for  the  Grand  river  which 
empties  into  Lake  Michigan.  The  banks  of  the  river  from 
Perrysburg  to  Toledo  are  high;  at  the  village  Oregon  the 
river  is  a  mile  wide.  We  came  to  Toledo,  which  ends  our 
voyage  in  the  canoe. 

As  we  had  to  stop  at  Toledo  longer  than  I  expected,  I 
took  a  particular  view  of  the  town,  the  new  rail  road  dec. 
Three  years  ago  a  man  came  from  Lockport  and  commen- 
ced building  a  steam  saw  mill  with  two  saws  and  a  flouring 
mill :  the  saw  mill  ran  him  in  debt  the  first  two  years,  but 
the  third  year  he  began  to  clear.  Last  July  there  was  an 
upper  and  lower  town  and  in  October  both  were  joined  in 
one.  The  houses  are  built  of  brick,  stone  and  frame,  and 
the  people  vie  with  each  other  in  building  the  finest  house. 
The  American  Hotel  excelled  them  all.  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  describe  this  Hotel,  I  never  saw  the  like  in  Canada,  for 


JOURNAL. 


3» 


Ameri- 
find  all 

ts  are 
nments 

rchase 
deled  to 
is  five 

fifteen 

t  costs 
than  It 
vith  all 
n  pros- 
ates  of 

e  river 
ise  and 
nd  one 
'  which 
ir  from 
on  the 
ids  our 

cted,  I 
d  &c. 
mmen- 
ouring 
rs,  but 
73.3  an 
ned  in 
e,  and 
house, 
ttempt 
la,  for 


magnificence  and  style  of  finishing.  I  was  very  much 
pleased  with  the  rail  road  and  the  cars  on  it,  the  work  was 
done  in  a  complete  manner.  This  rail  road  is  to  continue 
to  Lake  Michigan.  This  rail  road  was  begun  last  spring, 
and  in  one  summer  would  be  thirty-three  miles  finished. 
The  bars  were  imported  from  England,  they  had  already 
received  seven  thousand  tons.  On  account  of  rail  roads 
not  requiring  to  be  on  a  level,  I  conceive  that  thoy  are  su- 
perior to  canals.  When  the  Legislature  in  the  Slates  grant 
a  charter  for  a  railway,  a  canal,  or  a  turnpike,  a  portion  of 
land  is  given  to  the  company  for  its  benefit.  This  land 
generally  sells  at  a  high  price  which  considerably  helps  the 
company.  It  is  surprising  with  what  rapidity  these  rail  roads, 
canals,  &c.  are  getting  on  :  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
a  person  will  leave  the  sea  ports  on  the  Atlantic  and  reach 
the  Rocky  Mountains  in  one  week. 

On  the  difference  between  steam  power  and  horse  power 
I  make  the  following  extract  from  a  publication.  **  It  would 
require  twelve  stage  coaches,  carrying  fifteen  passengers 
each,  and  one  thousand  two  hundred  horses  to  take  one 
hundred  and  eighty  passengers  two  hundred  and  forty  miles 
in  twenty-four  hours,  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour. — 
One  locomotive  steam  engine  will  take  that  number  and  go 
two  trips  in  the  same  time,  consequently  will  do  the  work  of 
two  thousand  four  hundred  horses.  Again,  it  would  take 
thirty  mail  coaches  at  six  passengers  each,  and  three  thou- 
sand horses  to  take  one  hundred  and  eighty  passengers  and 
mail  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  at 
at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  per  hour.  One  locomotive  engine 
would  take  that  number  and  go  two  trips  in  the  same  time, 
consequently  would  do  the  work  of  six  thousand  horses." 

Some  people  prefer  a  canal  before  a  rail  road,  but  per- 
haps they  have  not  considered  the  advantages  of  a  rail  road 


:i 


34 


JOURNAL. 


I 


over  a  canal.  A  canal  will  do  when  it  is  through  a  wet 
level  country,  requiring  few  or  no  locks,  but  a  rail  road  can 
be  made  over  a  dry  hilly  country,  where,  in  fact,  a  canal 
could  not  bo  constructed  at  all  ;  and  besides,  a  rail  road 
does  not  freeze  up  in  winter,  nor  dry  up  in  summer.  Ano- 
ther important  consideration,  is,  a  rail  road  can  be  made  for 
one  quarter  the  expense  that  is  required  for  a  canal.  The 
Welland  Canal  lias  cost  the  province  more  money  than 
would  bo  required  to  make  a  rail  road  from  Toronto  to 
Sandwich.  The  captain  of  an  American  schooner  said  in 
my  presence,  that  they  had  to  dig  their  way  through  the 
Welland  Canal,  and  then  pay  toll  for  it  :  but,  said  he,  the 
day  is  coming  when  we  shall  have  a  ship  canal  of  our  own, 
and  then  we  shall  not  be  troubled.  I  felt  a  little  roused  to 
hear  this  captain  talk  as  he  did,  and  therefore  reminded 
him  that  Upper  Canada  had  given  six  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  besides  those  who  have  shares  in  our  canal.  But  I 
had  to  confess  that  the  money  had  been  badly  employed,  or 
much  of  it  embezzled.  Indeed,  no  man  can  have  his  eyes 
blinded  against  the  fact.  •  '.>v,^ 

I  told  this  captain  that  the  Welland  Canal  had  been  of 
great  service  to  the  Americans  in  receiving  their  produce 
through  it,  duty  free^  to  the  markets  of  Toronto,  Montreal 
and  Quebec,  by  which  their  gold  and  silver  had  been  in- 
creased. Therefore,  our  Canadian  aristocracy  have  greatly 
benefitted  the  republicans  of  the  United  States,  and  Canada 
has  to  suffer  for  it.  I  shovved  this  gentleman  the  propriety 
of  laying  an  equal  duty  on  their  produce  that  they  lay  on 
ours  ;  and  that  the  reformers  of  Upper  Canada  intend  to  do 
it  so  soon  as  they  get  Orange  mobs  quelled,  and  their  go- 
vernment purged  of  its  rubbish.  For  it  is  not  to  be  sup- 
posed that  Upper  Canada  is  to  be  a  laughing  stock  to  the 
States  forever.    The  sovereign  power  is  in  the  people,  and 


JOURNAL. 


86 


;h  a  wet 
road  can 
I  a  cunal 
ail  road 
'.  Ano- 
made  for 
il.  The 
ley  than 
ronto  to 
'  said  in 
)ugh  the 
1  he,  tlie 
our  own, 
•oused  to 
■eminded 
thousand 
But  I 
oyed,  or 
his  eyes 


"■  .-V-l  ;■ 


been  of 
produce 
Vlontreal 
been  in- 
greatly 
Canada 
)ropriety 
y  lay  on 
end  to  do 
their  go- 
be  sup- 
ck  to  the 
>ple)  and 


they  are  beginning  to  know  it ;  they  are  beginning  to  feel 
their  strength,  and  they  will  soon  use  it.  Indeed,  they  are 
only  pondering  over  the  matter,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
best  mode  of  accomplishing  their  purposes  and  obtaining 
their  rights.  It  is  true  that  our  last  general  election  exhi- 
bited an  awful  picture  of  tory  faction  and  aristocratical  as- 
cendancy. The  vilest  means  were  employed  to  overcome 
and  destroy  reform  principles.  Every  reformer  or  liberal 
was  treated  as  a  republican  and  rebel :  Church  and  State 
were  in  close  compact ;  insults,  threats,  clubs  and  blood 
were  abundantly  employed  against  our  just  rights  ;  while 
fawning  submission  and  dastardly  cowardice  were  exhibited 
by  an  ignorant  set  of  fools  ;  as  also  the  hosts  of  pennyless 
officers  or  pretended  gentlemen  and  clergy,  with  due  syco- 
phantic zeal  rallied  round  the  standard  of  tory  monopoly, 
and  tyrannical  injustice,  &c.  6ic.  But,  after  all  this,  I  feel 
persuaded  that  a  brighter  day  is  dawning  on  Canada,  not- 
withstanding all  the  above  muss  of  corruption,  misrule  and 
injustice.  The  day  is  nearly  at  hand  when  it  shall  be  said 
Canadians  ARE  FREE. 

I  am  now  at  the  mouth  of  the  Maumee  river,  which  has 
been  the  scene  of  many  a  dreadful  massacre.  This  river 
was  the  rendezvous  of  the  Indians  from  the  revolution  to 
the  late  war.  Here  the  British  had  a  fort  for  some  years 
after  the  acknowledgment  of  the  American  Independence, 
and  the  Indians  were  supplied  with  provisions  and  ammu- 
nition to  enable  them  to  carry  on  the  war.  Here  many  a 
brave  and  honest  American  lost  his  life  in  the  defence  of 
his  family  and  country  by  midnight  butchery,  and  many  a 
poor  prisoner  was  tortured  to  death,  and  on  this  river  the 
Indians  received  the  price  of  many  a  scalp.  But  at  whose 
instigation  were  all  these  black  and  bloody  deeds  perpe- 
trated ?     Some  of  these  massacres  are  described  by  the 


.1 , 


i 


36 


JOURNAL. 


American  writers  us  follows  : — *♦  The  children  had  their 
brains  knocked  out  against  trues  ;  one  woman  was 
ripped  open  and  her  unborn  infant  taken  out  and  its  brains 
dashed  out.  However,  all  this  was  no  essential  injury,  it 
was  all  for  the  best,  as  it  was  done  by  the  disciples  of  the 
Wabash  prophet,  who  was  in  close  and  holy  alliance  with 
George  111.,  defender  of  the  faith,  and  legitimate  sovereign 
of  the  Bible  Society  Nation,  the  bulwark  of  our  most  holy 
religion."  •       •  •  —  ,, 

•'  There  is  no  British  subject  that  would  allow  such  a  charge 
to  be  laid  to  their  king  of  England,  without  attempting  to  fix 
the  charge  on  the  proper  persons.  Then  with  whom  did 
these  foul  butcheries  originate?  The  king  of  England  had 
at  that  time,  more  work  on  his  hands  than  he  could  manage 
himself,  and  undoubtedly  the  scalping  and  butchery,  and 
cruelties  in  America,  were  under  the  direction  of  a  high  tory 
ministry,  who  were  greatly  assisted  by  the  dignitaries  of 
the  only  true,  and  holy  established  church,  for  nearly  all 
the  bishops  in  the  Upper  House  voted  for  the  American 
war.  The  north-west  company  had  also  a  powerful  influ- 
ence with  the  Indians,  as  they  were  jealous  of  the  Yankees 
going  too  far  west.  As  these  cruelties  are  much  talked  over 
by  the  States'  people  at  the  present  day,  I  will  lay  before 
my  readers  a  few  letters  which  will  illustrate  these  remarks. 

'    <         •    •  '  Rapids,  July  2d,  '94. 


«.•?•  f-?. 


By  the  same  channel  I  learn  that  a  large  body  of  troops, 
supposed  to  be  three  thousand,  with  wagons,  dec,  crossed 
the  Ohio  some  days  ago,  and  marched  towards  the  forts,  in 
the  Indian  country.  I  am  much  pressed  for  tobacco  and 
ammunition  for  the  Indians,  which  I  hope  I  may  receive  by 
the  return  of  the  boat. , 


Yours,  &c. 


:UH 


■i  b.-^*r^ 


JOURNAL. 


37 


i<i 


Rapids^  July  5th,  '94. 
Sir — 1  send  this  by  a  parly  of  Saganas,  who  returned 
yesterday  from  Fort  Recovery,  wlicre  the  wiiole  body  of 
Indians,  except  the  Deluwarcs,  wlmhad  gone  another  route, 
imprudently  attacked  the  fort  on  Monday,  the  30th  of  last 
month,  and  lost  sixteen  or  seventeen  men,  besides  a  good 
many  wounded.  Every  thing  had  been  settled  prior  to  their 
leaving  the  falling  timber,  and  it  had  been  agreed  upon  to 
confine  themselves  to  taking  convoys,  and  attacking  them  at 
a  distance  from  the  fort,  if  they  should  have  the  address  to 
(inticc  the  enemy  out.  But  the  impetuosity  of  the  Mack- 
inaw Indians,  and  their  eagerness  to  begin  with  the  nearest 
prevailed  with  the  others  to  alter  their  system.  The  conse- 
quence of  which,  from  the  present  appearance  of  things, 
may  most  materially  injure  the  interests  of  these  people, — 
Both  the  Mackinaw  and  Lake  Indians  resolved  on  going 
home  again,  having  completed  the  hells  they  carried  with 
scalps,  &c.  dic. 


I  have  more  letters  before  me  of  the  same  nature,  which 
show  who  employed  the  Indians  in  their  murderous  work, 
to  annihilate  if  possible,  the  American  settlers.  And  they 
also  show  how  the  king's  affairs  were  conducted  in  North 
America  by  the  minions  in  power  at  that  time.  And  could 
any  thing  be  more  unjust,  derogatory  to  British  honor  and 
good  faith,  than  to  keep  possession  of  Maumee,  Detroit, 
Mackinaw  and  other  places,  and  build  forts,  keep  store 
houses  from  which  to  supply  the  Indians  with  means  to 
carry  on  a  destructive  butchering  warfare  against  the  Ame- 
ricans, keeping  the  passions  of  these  Indians  alive  to  war, 
and  prompting  them  to  the  most  brutal  deeds.  The  north- 
west company  carried  on  the  fur  trade  to  a  great  extent,  and 
almost  ad  over  North  America  this  company  had  great  in- 


'ti 


w 


Iljii 


ll  ; 


i  ! 


88 


JOURNAL. 


fluence  among  t'le  Indians,  by  means  of  their  agents  they 
employed  ut  the  numerous  posts  in  the  wilderness.  This 
company  cared  nothing  about  the  cultivation  of  this  wilder- 
ness ;  nav,  they  were  opposed  to  it,  desiring  rather  a  few 
bales  of  skins  than  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  But  the  pur- 
chasing of  scalps  was  the  farthest  stretch  of  brutnl  ingenuity. 
No  wonder  that  Americans  have  such  a  low  opinion  of 
British  usages,  of  British  honor,  and  of  British  established 
religion,  when  the  accursed  trade  in  human  scalps  was  car- 
ried on  against  themselves.  That  the  fur  company  were 
opposed  to  improvements,  we  have  proof  in  the  destruction 
of  Lord  Selkirk's  settlement  on  the  Red  river.  The  means 
employed,  on  that  occasion,  are  revolting  to  human  nature, 
and  therefore  I  will  pass  them  by.  I  have  been  told  that 
this  company  charged  sixteen  dollars  per  gallon  for  reduced 
spirits,  and  paid  one  dollar  for  a  buffalo  skin.  But,  after 
all,  what  does  their  ill-gotten  gain  avail  them  ? — a  curse 
seems  to  follow  them.  In  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  the 
Americans,  by  enterprise,  by  industry,  and  by  economy, 
are  setting  a  bright  and  a  happy  example  to  the  whole  civi- 
lized world.  They  are  *'  turning  the  wilderness  into  a,  fruit- 
ful field."  :.  ,>,;,,  :  ;  ,  :  ^.  :. 
.  But  this  scalping  warfare  had  another  awful  tendency  : 
it  showed  the  Indians  that  white  men  were  intent  on  robbery 
and  despotism,  so  that  when  a  missionary  went  to  them 
with  the  gospel  they  could  not  believe  him  to  be  sincere, 
and  instead  of  receiving  the  message  of  mercy  which  he 
took  them,  they  would  answer,  you  do  uot  believe  that  gos- 
pel yourself,  for  you  preach  one  thing  and  practice  another : 
for  the  Indians  consider  all  white  men  professed  Christians. 
The  encouraging  of  the  Indians  in  a  bloody  and  destructive 
war,  has  entailed  on  them  evi!s  which  will  be  felt  for  many 
generations.     And  after   these    Indians  had  wasted  their 


JOURNAL. 


lid 


numbers,  and  suffered  all  the  horrors  of  a  barbarous  and 
inhuman  war  ;  and  aftc''  having  scalped  hosts  cf  American 
settlers,  to  please  a  set  of  relentless  aristocratical  tyrants, 
how  have  they  been  rewarded  for  their  unnatural  and  cruel 
butcheries  ?  Their  lands  have  been  craftily,  if  not  unjustb/ 
taken  from  them,  and  means  have  been  employed  to  send 
them  towards  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Remember,  I  am  not 
blaming  the  King  of  England  for  all  these  diabolical  deeds. 
Living,  as  he  did,  four  thousand  miles  from  the  scene  of  this 
injustice,  he  kne\>  not  how  his  servants  acted.  They  are 
evils  consequent  on  a  nation  or  empire,  where  the  few  go- 
vern the  many.  Neither  do  I  blame  a  majority  of  the  Bri- 
tish people.  Such  were  the  corruption  at  their  elections, 
and  the  combined  power  of  the  nobles  and  clergy,  that  a 
tory  parliament  and  ministry  were  always  secured.  The 
toi'ies  not  only  oppressed  the  king's  colonies,  but  the  people 
at  home  ;  and  justice  was  almost  as  difficult  to  be  obtained 
at  home  as  abroad.  Therefore,  the  people  were  not  to 
blame,  they  remonstrated  against  the  American  tories  and 
war,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  blame  of  these  cruelties  can- 
not justly  be  laid  on  any,  except  an  haughty  aristocracy. 
Jinked  with  a  worthloss,  wicked,  established  clergy,  whom 
the  people  were  forced  to  maintain. 

What  a  picture  does  the  church  of  England  present  us  ' 
A  dissenting  minister  will  go  among  the  people  for  his  sup- 
port, like  a  gentleman  and  a  Christian.  He  will  for  himself 
and  his  brethren,  say  unto  the  people,  *'we  shall  feel  oblig- 
ed to  you  if  you  will  assist  us  in  our  maintainance,  and  in 
the  erection  of  our  churches  :"  and  the  people  will  say, 
"we  will  help  you;''  but  the  church  of  England  clergy,  as  by 
law  established,  authoritively  send  their  proctors  to  demand 
their  tithes  and  dues,  and  the  archdeacon  ^e^°  churches 
built  and  repaired,  and  saddles  the  costs  on  the  people:  and 


40 


JOURNAL. 


in  any  case,  if  the  people  refuse  to  pay,  constabies  and 
armed  soldiers  are  sent  to  force  the  money  from  them,  or 
to  take  their  goods.  Any  nation  that  thus  "submits  to  be 
a  land  of  slaves,  deserves  to  be  a  land  of  ruin." 

It  has  been  reported  that  the  Americans  have  at  different 
times  driven  the  Indians  from  their  lands,  but  nothing  can 
be  more  false,  as  the  Americans  have  invariably  purchased 
the  lands  of  the  Indians.  The  Indians  have  often  broken 
their  treaties  and  waged  war  with  the  Americans;  and  be- 
fore the  Americans  have  taken  up  arms,  they  have  always 
offered  to  the  Indians  terms  of  peace.  The  Canadian  torie.s 
have  often  reported  that  the  Yankees  were  driving  the  1  - 
dians  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  seizing  their  lands,  and 
also  murdering  those  who  resisted,  all  of  which  is  false  and 
foul.  I  will  make  an  extract  from  the  President's  speech, 
which  the  Canadian  tories  call  republican  bombast. 

^  **The  plan  of  removing  the  aboriginal  people  who  yet  re- 
main within  the  settled  portions  of  the  United  Stales,  to  the 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  approaches  its  consummation. 
It  was  adopted  on  the  most  mature  consideration  of  the  con- 
dition of  this  race,  and  ought  to  be  persisted  in  till  the  object 
is  accomplished  and  and  prosecuted;  with  as  much  vigour 
as  a  just  regard  to  their  circumstances  will  permit,  and  as 
fast  as  their  consent  can  be  obtained.  AH  preceding  experi- 
ments for  the  improvement  of  the  Indians  have  failed.  It 
seems  now  to  be  an  established  fact,  that  they  cannot  live 
in  contact  with  civilized  community  and  prosper.  Ages  of 
fruitless  endeavors  have  at  lengh  brought  us  to  acknow- 
ledge this  principle  of  intercommunication  with  them  ;  the 
past  we  cannot  recall,  but  the  future  we  can  provide  for. 
Independently  of  the  treaty  stipulation  into  which  we  have 
entered  with  the  various  tribes  for  the  right  they  have  ce- 
ded to  us,  no  one  can  doubt  the  moral  duty  of  the  govern- 


i 


1 


JOURNAL. 


41 


I 


? 


merit  of  the  United  States,  to  protect,  and  if  possible  to 
preserve  and  perpetuate  the  scattered  remnants  of  this  race, 
which  is  left  in  our  borders.  In  discharge  of  this  duty  an 
extensive  region  in  the  west  has  been  assigned  for  their 
permanent  residence ;  it  has  been  divided  into  districts,  and 
allotted  among  them,  many  have  already  removed,  and 
ethers  are  preparing  to  go  ;  and  with  the  exception  of  two 
small  bands,  living  in  Ohio  and  Indiana,  not  exceeding 
fifteen  hundred  persons,  and  of  the  Cherokees,  all  the 
tribes  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  extending  frcm 
lake  Michigan  to  Florida,  have  entered  into  engage- 
ments, which  will  lead  to  their  transplantation.  The  plan 
for  their  removal  and  re-establishment  is  founded  upon  the 
knowledge  we  have  gained  of  their  character  and  habits, 
and  has  been  dictated  by  i',  spirit  of  enlarged  liberality. 

A  territory  exceeding  in  extent  that  relinquished,  has  been 
granted  to  each  tribe.  Of  its  climate,  fertility  and  capacity 
to  support  an  Indian  population,  the  representations  are 
highly  favorable  to  these  districts.  The  Indians  are  re- 
moved at  the  expense  of  the  United  States,  and  with  certain 
supplies  of  clothing,  arms  and  ammunition,  and  other  indis- 
'  ^nsible  articles;  they  are  also  furnished  gratuitously  with 
}  rovisions  for  the  period  of  a  year,  after  their  arrival  at 
ihiir  new  homes.  In  that  time  from  the  nature  of  the  coun- 
try, and  of  the  products  raised  by  them,  they  can  subsist 
themselves  by  agricultural  labot ;  if  they  choose  to  resort 
to  that  mode  of  life;  if  they  do  not,  they  are  on  the  skirts 
of  the  great  prairies  where  countless  he»'ds  of  Buffaloes 
roam,  and  a  short  time  suffices  to  adapt  their  own  habits 
to  the  changes,  which  as  changes  of  the  animals  destined 
for  their  future  food,  may  require.  Ample  arrangements 
have  also  been  made  for  the  support  of  schools:  in  some 
instances   Council  houses  and  Churches  are  to  bo  erected, 

4* 


42 


JOURNAL. 


h 


r;  ; 


'    r 


dwellings  constructed  for  the  chiefs,  and  mills  for  common 
use. 

Funds  have  been  set  apart  for  the  maintainance  of  the 
poor;  the  most  necessary  mechanical  arts  have  been  intro- 
duced, and  blacksmiths,  gunsmiths,  wheelwrights,  mill- 
wrights, &;c.  are  supported  among  them.  Steel  and  iron  and 
som-j times  salt,  are  purchased  for  them;  and  ploughs  and 
other  farming  utensils,  dorriostic  animals,  looms,  spinning 
wheels,  cards,  6  \  are  presented  to  them.  And  besides 
these  beneficial  aric':.  "lents,  annuities  are  in  all  cases  paid, 
amounting  in  some  instances  to  more  than  thirty  dollars  for 
each  individual  of  the  tribe,  and  in  all  cases,  sufficiently 
great  if  justly  divided,  and  prudently  expended,  to  enable 
them  in  addition  to  their  own  exertions,  to  live  comfort- 
ably. 

And  as  a  stimulus  for  exertion,  it  is  now  provided  by  law, 
that  in  all  cases  of  appointments  of  interpreters  or  the  per- 
sons employed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians,  a  preference 
shall  be  given  to  persons  of  Indian  descent;  if  such  can  be 
found,  who  are  properly  qualified  for  the  discharge  of  the 
duties.  Such  are  the  arrangements  for  the  physical  comfort, 
and  moral  improvement  of  the  Indians.  The  necessary 
measures  for  the  political  advancement,  and  for  their  separa- 
tion from  our  citizens,  have  not  been  neglected;  the  pledge  of 
the  United  States  has  been  given  by  congress  that  the  coun* 
try  destined  for  their  residence,  shall  be  for  ever  secured, 
and  guaranteed  to  them. 

A  country  west  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas  has  been  as- 
signed to  them,  into  which  the  white  settlements  arcj  not  to  be 
pushed;  no  political  community  can  be  formed  in  that  ex- 
tensive region,  except  those  established  by  the  Indians  them- 
selves, or  by  the  United  States  for  them,  and  with  their 
consent.     A  barrier  has  thus  been  raised  for  theii  protec- 


JOURNAL. 


4g 


lion,  against  the  encroachments  of  our  citizens,  and  guard- 
ing the  Indians,  as  far  as  possible,  from  those  evils  which 
have  brought  them  to  their  present  condition.  Summary 
authority  has  been  given  by  law  to  destroy  all  ardent 
spirits  found  in  their  country,  without  waiting  the  doubtful 
result,  and  slow  process  of  a  legal  seizure.  1  consider  the 
absolute  and  unconditional  introduction  of  this  article  among 
these  people,  as  the  first  and  greatest  step. 

Half-way  measures  will  answer  no  purpose,  these  cannot 
successfully  contend  against  the  cupidity  of  the  seller  and 
the  overpowering  appetite  of  the  buyer;  and  the  destructive 
effects  of  the  traffic  are  marked  in  every  page  of  the  histo- 
ry of  our  Indian  intercourse.  •  '  •  : 

Some  general  legislation  seems  necessary  for  the  regula- 
tion of  the  relations  which  will  exist  in  this  new  state  of 
things,  between  the  government  and  people  of  the  United 
States  and  these  transplanted  Indian  tribes,  and  for  the  es- 
tablishment among  the  latter;  and  with  their  own  consent 
of  some  principles  of  intercommunication,  which  their  exta- 
position  will  call  for,  that  moral  may  be  substituted  for 
physical  force,  the  authority  of  a  few  simple  laws  for  the 
tomahawk,  and  that  an  end  may  be  put  to  those  bloody 
wars,  whose  prosecution  seems  to  have  made  part  of  their 
social  system.  r^  v 

After  the  further  details  of  this  arrangement  are  comple- 
ted, with  a  very  general  suspension  over  them  they  ought 
to  be  left  to  the  progress  of  events;  these  I  hope  will  secure 
their  prosperity  and  improvement,  and  a  large  portion  of 
the  moral  debt  we  owe  them  will  be  paid." 

I  hope  no  man  will  call  this  speech  to  the  congress,  bom- 
bast. It  is  evident  that  the  care  and  concern  of  the  United 
States  government,  for  the  Indians,  has  been  honorable, 
humane,  and  Christian.     Though  the  extract  which  I  have 


44 


JOURNAL. 


m 


I 


ii. 


iii^ 


made  is  long,  I  have  no  doubt  bat  it  will  be  read  with  inte- 
rest and  admiration  by  every  lover  of  justice  and  humanity. 
It  is  a  striking  contrast  between  aristocratical  tyranny,  and 
the  democratical  justice  of  equal  rigiits  and  fellow  feeling. 
The  prime  attribute  of  an  aristocracy  is  oppression^  while 
that  of  democracy  is  love.  *'  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself;"  and  as  I  have  made  a  quotation  from  the  sacred 
volume,  I  would  observe,  that  wherever  bible  religion  is  in 
operation,  unshackled  by  the  state,  it  will  show  itself  by  acts 
of  justice,  humanity  and  love  :  for  the  author  of  that  blessed 
book,  **  is  loving  to  every  man,"  and  "no  respecter  of  per- 
sons." Those  who  are  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  this  reli- 
gion, can  never  employ  untutored,  barbarous  Indians  to 
scalp  and  massacre  their  fellow  men  and  brethren,  because 
they  think  differently,  on  politics,  to  themselves.  And, 
therefore,  I  conclude,  that  those  "Noble  Lords,"  and 
"  Right  Reverend  Bishops  and  Fathers  in  God,"  could  not 
have  in  possession  any  of  the  religion  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment ;  but  they  had  undoubtedly  in  possession  much  of  the 
established  religion  of  the  state,  which  teaches  them  to  exact 
tithes  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  oppress  the  poor,  scalp 
men  and  women,  dash  out  the  brains  of  infants,  and  traffic 
in  human  blood.  When  will  the  people  remove,  by  physi- 
cal force,  these  pampered  religious  dignitaries  from  the 
councils  of  the  British  empire,  and  no  longer  be  priest-rid- 
den, and  disgraced  in  the  eyes  of  the  whole  civilized  world? 
Sir  Francis  B.  Head  and  his  tory  associates  are  entailing 
on  Upper  Canada  all  the  curses  of  an  hypocritical,  worldly, 
fulsome,  established  priesthood.  -       -" 

The  prohibition  from  selling  or  using  ardent  spirits,  men- 
tioned by  the  President,  among  the  Indians,  under  the  fos- 
tering care  of  the  American  government,  is  both  wise  and 
philanthropic.     These  Indians  cannot  complain  of  the  hard 


JOURNAL. 


45 


dealings  of  the  republican  government.  It  is  true  that  such 
a  law  has  been  passed  in  Upper  Canada,  but  the  law  io 
merely  nominal,  none  will  execute  it.  The  fact  is,  many 
of  our  magistrates  are  among  the  most  drunken  sots  in  the 
province,  and  will  therefore  allow  the  Indians  to  do  as  they 
do.  Besides,  a  great  portion  of  the  merchants'  traffic  is  in 
ardent  spirits,  which  is  always  ten-fold  more  plentiful  than 
bread  ;  and  further,  these  ardent  spirits  assist  greatly  in  ef- 
fecting corrupt  elections,  and  must  not  be  slopped  in  their 
good  offices.  Reason,  religion,  and  conscience  must  all 
give  place  to  tory  misrule. 

I  have  said  thus  much  to  show  the  true  source  from  which 
spring  most  of  the  evils  which  are  felt  in  Canada  and  other 
portions  of  the  British  empire  ;  and  also  to  convince  the 
disgusting  hierarchy  and  ignoble  aristocracy  of  Upper  Ca- 
nada, that  the  United  States  government  do  not  treat  the  In- 
dians so  badly  as  they  have  represented.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  republican  government  has  not  trans- 
ported the  Indians  to  a  barren  rock,  and  an  inhospitable  cli- 
mate, but  they  have  entered  into  a  fair  and  honest  agree- 
ment that  the  Indians  shall  have  as  good  a  place  as  ever  an 
Indian  foot  trod,  and  the  President's  speech  tells  how  well 
they  are  provided  for.  Compare  the  delightful  country  of 
the  States  Indians,  to  the  inhospitable,  rocky,  barren  desert 
north  of  Lake  Huron,  to  which  Sir  F.  B.  Head  wants  to 
send  our  Upper  Canada  Indians,  and  the  support  they  would 
be  likely  to  have,  should  they  go  there.  And  then  ask  who 
treats  their  Indians  the  best  ?  Upper  Canada  or  the  United 
States  1  An  Indian  said  in  reference  to  cultivating  the  soil 
on  the  north  of  Lake  Huron,  that  they  must  have  strong 
horses  and  ploughs  to  plough  those  rocks  up.  And  their 
principal  game  are  a  few  rabbits.  The  Indians  there,  live 
chiefly  on  fish.     I  hope  our  Indians  have  too  much  good 


''^n 


'IM 


46 


JOURNAL. 


m 


II 


sense  to  go  to  such  a  wretched  abode,  and  as  far  as  I  have 
conversed  with  them,  and  heard,  I  find  they  do  not  intend 
to  go  ;  they  find  they  have  crouched  and  fawned  long 
enough,  and  that  it  is  time  they  stood  up  for  themselves. 

But  now,  to  give  a  further  account  of  my  travels:  I  left 
Toledo  for  Monroe,  in  the  steamboat  Andrew  Jackson.  We 
sailed  down  the  river,  past  Manhattan,  of  which  I  have  spo- 
ken before,  as  also  of  the  mouth  of  Swan  Creek,  the  refuge 
of  the  Indians.  The  wind  blew  strongly  from  the  east. — 
The  cibin  was  crowded  with  passengers,  many  of  whom 
were  very  respectable.  I  remained  on  deck  that  I  might 
have  a  better  prospect  of  the  country,  which  was  pleasing 
as  respects  the  crops  and  fruit,  but  the  houses  were  chiefly 
French,  and  were  low  and  ill  formed.  The  land  was  low, 
not  many  feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake.  After  five  hours 
we  came  to  Monroe.  A  large  marsh  is  between  the  town 
and  the  lake  with  a  channel  through  it,  that  will  admit  of 
small  vessels  up  to  the  town.  Here  they  are  building  a  fine 
wharf,  which  will  extend  to  the  main  land,  which  is  truly  a 
great  work.  The  town  had  a  beautiful  appearance  from 
the  lake ;  the  houses  are  seen  over  the  tops  of  the  trees, 
some  are  built  of  brick  and  some  frame.  The  trees  about 
the  town  are  honey-locust,  apple,  pear  and  pench,  which 
give  it  a  pleasing  appearance.  In  this  place  Yankee  enter- 
prise was  finely  exhibited.  I  believe  no  people  in  the  world 
equal  the  Yankees  for  an  enterprising  spirit.  After  a  short 
stay  at  Monroe,  we  put  out  again  on  the  lake,  with  an  in- 
crease of  passengers,  principally  American  gentlemen  and 
ladies.  I  considered  these,  gentlemen,  on  account  of  their 
politeness,  and  showing  their  good  breeding,  in  their  affa- 
bility. I  think  Mr.  Addison  some  where  says,  that,  "  true 
politeness  is  a  desire  to  please,"  if  so,  it  is  worth  any  thing 
to  be  polite.     If  Americans  show  more  respect  and  polite- 


JOURNAL. 


47 


ness  to  one  than  another,  it  is  to  those  who  have  raised 
themselves  by  industry  and  enterprise.  How  ditlercntly  do 
the  aristocracy  of  Upper  Canada  act?  Hear  what  Mrs. 
William  RadclifF,  of  Adelaide,  says  of  a  respectable  Cana- 
dian, in  one  of  her  letters  to  her  friends  in  Ireland,  which 
letters  are  published,  and  the  book  now  lies  before  me. 

**  We  were  comfortably  entertained  at  Burford,  and 
though  much  fatigued,  set  forward  next  morning  by  break 
of  day  for  the  next  tavern,  Putnam  I  think,  a  distance  of 
forty  miles,  in  the  very  wagon  which  had  brought  our 
friends  there  some  time  before.  This  was  driven  by  the 
owner,  Mr.  Lyster,  a  very  conversable  and  well*informed 
person,  for  his  rank  in  life  ;  but  all  here  consider  thcm- 
selvei^  gentlemen  and  ladies — and  this  man,  who,  I  must 
admit,  was  not  troublesome  or  forward  in  his  conversation, 

BREAKFASTED    AND    DINED    AT   TABLE    WITH    US,     WITHOUT 

COMPUNCTION  OR  APOLOGY."  I  am  personally  acquainted  with 
this  Mr.  Lyster,  and  have  some  knowledge  of  the  Messrs. 
RadclifTs,  and  I  suspect  that  Mr.  Lyster  would  hardly  ex- 
change his  property  for  all  the  Messrs.  Rcdcliifs'  *'  estates" 
in  Adelaide.  How  ridiculous  to  hear  these  personages  talk 
of  their  "  stacks  of  chimneys,"  (made  of  m!id,)  in  their 
"  handsome  house,"  (a  very  common  log  house,)  and  their 
"  halls,"  "  kitchens,"  "  bed  chambers,"  and  above  all, 
**  drawing-rooms."  Having  made  the  above  quotation  and 
remarks,  I  proceed.  On  board  the  steamboat,  as  I  was  a 
stranger,  they  showed  me  much  attention  and  respect,  and 
were  willing  to  give  me  all  the  information  they  could,  on 
the  object  of  my  journey. 

The  time  passed  away  pleasantly  in  friendly  conversa- 
tion, and  after  dinner  two  gentlemen  entered  into  discussion 
on  the  affairs  of  Canada.  I  listened  with  respectful  attention 
and  considerable  interest,  and  found  that  they  were  pretty 


^ 


48 


JOURNAL. 


PI 


III; 


well  acquainted  with  the  distracted  state  of  the  Upper  Pro- 
vince. Sir.  F.  B.  Head,  the  late  elections,  Orange  mobs, 
with  their  clubs,  and  bloody  deeds,  as  well  as  the  encourage- 
ment given  to  them  by  goverment  vassals,  were  severally 
discussed  with  ability.  One  of  the  gentlemen  present 
observed  to  them  that  there  was  a  Canadian  in  the  com- 
pany who  had  been  travelling  in  the  United  Stales,  and  who 
would  undoubtedly  give  them  information  on  the  subjects  of 
which  they  had  been  speaking.  These  gentlemen  said,  had 
they  known  of  my  being  present  they  would  not  have  enter- 
ed so  fully  into  the  subjects  themselves,  as  I  must  be  a 
critic  in  Canadian  politics  if  I  had  entered  warmly  into  the 
late  election.  I  answered  that  I  did  not  take  a  very  active 
part  in  them,  but  I  had  witnessed  some  who  received  hard 
blows,  and  that  the  first  time  I  had  seen  men  in  anger  draw 
blood  from  each  other,  was  when  I  beheld  it  follow  the  clubs 
of  the  Orange  men:  and  that  {  hoped  that  I  should  never 
see  the  like  again,  rather  than  see  which  I  would  sooner  be 
transported  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Governor  Colbourne 
told  us,  he  would  cause  emigrants  to  come  from  Europe 
that  would  infuse  British  principles  into  the  people  of 
Upper  Canada,  but  if  that  be  the  mode  of  planting,  1  hoped 
my  head  would  never  be  ploughed  up  to  receive  such  seed, 
and  that  by  such  a  mode  of  planting,  I  was  sure  it  would 
not  grow.  I  had  always  thought  that  I  was  a  British  sub- 
ject, but  I  found  that  1  could  not  be  one,  without  breaking 
my  neighbour's  bones,  aad  therefore  gave  up  the  thoughts, 
as  I  cannot  be  an  Orange  club  man. 

These  plam  and  broad  expressions,  spoken  in  an  earnest 
manner,  caused  a  general  burst  of  laughter,  for  which  the 
gentlemen  apologized,  and  asked  my  pardon  for  their  want 
of  decorum.  I  proceeded:  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  you  may 
laugh,  but  I  am  in  earnest.     One  of  the  company  acknow- 


JOURNAL. 


49 


icdgccl  tlieir  belief  in  my  earnestness  and  sincerity,  but  as  I 
hud  expressed  myself  so  sententiously,  he  said  it  would  have 
made  a  Bishop  laugh.  I  replied,  1  hoped  no  bishop  was 
in  the  company,  for  a  Bishop,  whether  Catholic  or  Protest- 
ant, was  the  worst  sight  any  country  could  behold.  An 
Episcopal  Methodist  Local  Preacher  answered.  Sir,  you 
have  cut  deep  and  wide,  you  have  touched  a  tender  string. 
1  replied,  what  I  do,  I  do  with  all  my  might;  for  men  that 
have  strong  minds  and  long  consciences  require  to  be  hit 
hard.  To  be  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  1  said  they 
need  only  refer  to  the  two  churches  in  Europe,  both  of 
which  claim  to  be  Apostolical,  and  see  the  butchering  of 
thousands  of  men,  women  and  children,  all  at  the  shrine  of 
tyrannical  Bishops,  and  they  would  be  convinced  that  what 
1  had  said  was  not  too  strong.  And  the  apparent  good, 
effected,  which  had  been  attributed  to  Bishops,  was  only 
like  a  drop  of  the  river,  compared  with  the  evil  they  have 
done. — Ireland  alone,  which  was  but  a  speck  on  the  globe, 
had  withm  these  last  thirty  years,  lost  upwards  of  twenty 
thousand  of  her  brave  people  in  the  conflict  for  an  infa- 
mous church  establishment,  or  Episcopal  ascendancy. — No 
sooner  had  England  got  rid  of  the  sable  darkness,  and  cruel 
bloodshed  of  a  superstitious  papish  church,  than  the  pre- 
sent English  Church,  equally  haughty,  domineering,  bigoted, 
ignorant,  and  in  many  cases  cruel,  but  more  avaricious, 
usurped  the  throne  of  Episcopal  dignity. 

However,  1  requested  to  leave  this  subject  and  turn  to  poli- 
tics. One  of  the  gentlemen  asked,  what  have  you  to  complain 
of  in  Canada  ?  The  king  makes  your  roads,  appoints  your 
magistrates  and  judges,  and  sheriffs,  from  whom  come  your 
jurymen  and  constables.  Besides,  your  king  pays  your  cler- 
gymen, and  gives  them  one  seventh  of  the  lands  in  the  pro- 
vince, has  built  you  a  college  at  Toronto,  established  fifty- 

5 


60 


JOURNAL. 


seven  rectories  for  your  spiritual  welfare  ;  therefore,  if 
your  king  makes  you  roads  on  earth  and  one  to  heaven,  how 
can  you  complain  1  After  which  he  gave  a  sarcastic  smile. 
1  answered,  he  must  be  well  acquainted  with  Upper  Canada, 
or  he  could  not  so  well  describe  it.  He  replied,  I  lived  in 
Upper  Canada  twenty  years,  near  Ancaster,  and  it  was  my 
lot  to  be  poor.  I  am  as  well  acquainted  with  the  laws  of 
Upper  Canada  as  yourself,  and  the  difficulties  with  which 
you  contend,  for  I  frit  them  myself.  1  removed  to  the 
United  States,  which  your  Canada  gentlemen  call  a  cage 
for  rogues.  After  my  arrival,  I  worked  for  fifty  cents  a 
day  to  support  my  family — by  degrees  I  got  on,  I  bought 
a  town  lot  in  Utica  some  yeavs  ago  for  a  small  sum  of 
money.  1  sold  the  same  for  eight  thousand  dollars.  1  got 
on  from  one  thing  to  enothcr,  worked  hard,  and  lived  fr 
gttlly,  and  am  now  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars.  He 
stopped  in  Canada,  I  should  not  have  been  worth  so  much 
by  many  thousands.  What  I  said  to  you  concerning  your 
laws,  in  a  sarcastic  way,  was  not  to  insult  you.  I  do  not 
wonder  at  your  hard  feelings  against  your  oppressors.  The 
efl^ects  of  your  jury  laws  I  have  seen  to  my  sorrow.  I  well 
know  how  they  operated  on  some  persons,  particularly  on 
Robert  Gourley,  a  reformei  of  the  first  stamp,  he  >vas  a 
Scotchman.  By  the  influence  of  a  picked  jury  he  was  de- 
nounced an  alien  and  transported  across  the  Niagara  river 
into  the  United  States,  which  beat  all  tbj  law  1  ever  heard 
of.  But  we  need  not  wonder  at  that,  for  the  Governor  of 
Upper  Canada  docs  what  the  King,  his  master,  dare  not  do. 
The  King  of  England  dare  not  increase  established  churches, 
but  your  Governor  and  his  council  have  saddled  on  you  five 
churches.  The  Church  of  England,  the  Church  of  Rome, 
or  Roman  Catholic,  the  Church  of  Scotland,  and  two  Me- 
thodist Churches,  are  all  receiving  support  from  the  funds 


JOURNAL. 


51 


• 


of  your  province,  without  the  consent  of  your  assembly. — 
VVliy  the  king  durst  not  do  any  such  thing.  Indeed,  your 
houso  of  assembly  is  u  mere  mock  tribunal,  as  your  upper 
house  and  council,  tomahawk  every  bill  that  does  not  agree 
with  their  higii  principles,  however  mucii  it  is  for  the  interest 
of  the  peojjk!.  Tliis  is  your  situation  at  the  present  time. 
But  I  beg  pardon,  as  I  am  monopolising  the  whole  of  the 
conversation  to  myself.  1  answered,  go  on  sir,  I  um  not 
ready  yet.  Well  then,  said  he,  the  Wesbyan  Methodist 
preachers  I\ave  been  the  means  of  returning  a  tory  house, 
and  leaving  out  Mackenzie,  the  main  pillar  of  reform  and 
retrenchment. 

I  now  answered  this  gentleman,  that  as  it  regarded  Mr. 
Mackenzie  being  the  pillwr  of  reforMi,  would  argi;c  that  the 
reform  strength  in  Upper  Canada  w  as  very  small,  yet  1  was 
willing  to  give  to  Mr.  Mackenzie  the  praise  justly  due  to  his 
exertions,  and  also  wi^h  him  success. 

As  it  regarded  the  Weslcyan  Methodists  liaving  returned 
a  tory  house,  I  was  not  willing  to  admit,  as  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  Wesleyan  members  were  staunch  reformers.  Yet  it 
was  true  that  a  number  of  the  preachers  and  a  few  of  the 
members  exerted  themselves  on  tlie  tory  side,  which  I  ac- 
knowledged reflected  discredit  on  the  body.  And,  as  respect 
to  Mr.  Egerton  Ryerson,  it  is  universally  admitted,  that  ho 
was  once,  one  of  the  best  and  greatest  reformers  in  the  pro- 
vince, as  the  Christian  Guardian,  which  he  edited,  proves. — 
He  was  the  untiring  opponent  of  established  churches,  and 
did  more  than  any  other  for  the  freedom  and  liberal  welfare 
of  the  province. 

However,  it  must  be  confessed  that  he  is  taking  an  oppo- 
site course  at  present,  on  account  of  which  his  former  friends 
feel  much  pained.  The  reason  of  Mr.  Ryerson's  change 
in  politics  cannot  be  accounted  for,  except  it  be  government 


I 


I'  w.:n 
JP 


m 


:i 


m 


JOURNAL. 


patronage,  perhaps  an  expectation  of  clergy  reserves.  Biif 
perhaps  it  will  be  more  charitable  to  suppose  that  Mr.  E. 
Ryerson  is  convinced  that  toryisnn,  aristocratical  pride  and 
selfishness,  are  more  rational,  scriptural,  and  beneficial, 
than  those  prin'^iples  of  reform,  which  inculcate  equp'  rights, 
and  free  and  liberal  iustitution3.  That  his  former  course  of 
advocating  reform,  especially  in  the  churoh,  wa.  wrong. — 
That  ministers  of  religion  have  a  right  to  do  as  the^  please  ; 
and  that  passive  submission  to  political  and  religious  tyrants 
is  imperatively  required  of  the  people.  Also,  that  it  is  now 
found  out  to  be  right  for  ministers  of  religion  to  employ  a 
great  portion  of  their  time  in  assisting  Secretaries  of  Slate, 
Governors  of  Provinces  and  their  Councils,  to  govern  the 
people  by  despotism.  However,  to  show  that  these  were 
not  Mr.  Ryerson's  sentiments  at  the  time  he  wrote  against 
Dr.  Strachan,  I  will  quote  his  o»vn  book.  *'  No  wonder  that 
those  divines  who  are  constantly  dabbling  in  politics,  are  a 
disgrace;  to  the  church,  and  a  pestilence  to  their  parishion- 
ers." I  shall  have  occasion  to  make  further  extracts  from 
this  book  before  I  have  done.  A  sufficient  proof  that  Mr. 
Ryerson's  political  course  is  not  what  it  used  to  be,  may  be 
found  in  the  following  far*,  namely  :  that  a  few  years  ago 
all  the  tory  editors  in  the  two  provinces,  weru  constantly  1 1 
war  with  him  ;  but  at  present,  they  are  his  staunch  friends 
and  eulogists.  As  Iherc  is  such  an  evident  th?»nge  in  the 
Christian  Guardian  and  Conference,  tne  people  now-a-days 
turn  over  the  old  Guardians  to  see  whether  th«  y  agree  with 
the  present  one. 

I  conceive  that  for  a  Methodist  newspaper  to  advocate  tory 
politics,  \3  a  renunciation  of  its  principles  and  a  sufficient 
sign  of  its  having  departed  from  the  gord  old  track  in  which 
its  predecessors  walked.  The  Christian  Guardian  formerly 
stood  high  in  the  esdriation  of  the  Methodist  people,  as  weU 


JOURNAL. 


6B 


as  of  a  great  portion  of  Canada  ;  but  it  has  lost  us  lofty  and 
weil-cained  eulogies  from  its  former  friends;  and  instead 
of  advocating  the  free  and  equal  rights  of  the  people  and 
leveling  its  shafts  against  the  establishment  of  an  adulter- 
ous dominant  church,  it  has  suffered  fifty-seven  rectories, 
like  canker  worms,  to  enter  the  root  of  the  Provincial  Con- 
stitution, by  which  the  tree  of  prosperity,  in  this  Province, 
will  be  blasted,  yea  finally  destroyed,  if  these  canker-worms 
be  not  <-aken  away.  I  say  that  the  Guardian  has  suffered 
these  rectories  to  be  establisiicd — for  had  the  Chwstian 
Guardian  kept  up  its  former  character,  as  the  Guardian  of 
ecual  rights,  and  of  civil  and  religious  freedom,  no  tyrant 
would  have  dared  to  create  such  rectories.  But  the  mighty 
have  fallen  through  the  corrupting  influence  of  state  patron- 
age. I  feel  sorry  that  Mr.  Richardson  did  not  continue  to 
be  the  editor,  or  some  man  of  his  principles  and  ability. 

As  regards  the  receiving  of  **  Government  Grants," 
which  are  stated  to  have  been  applied  to  the  support  of  our 
missions,  I  am  heartily  sorry  that  they  were  ever  accepted. 
Allowing  that  they  were  applied  to  the  purposes  of  convert- 
ing the  Indians  in  Cauada,  to  the  christian  religion,  a  God- 
like work,  which  no  christian  can  oppose,  but  is  bound  to  as- 
sist ;  yet  the  support  of  the  missions  ought  to  be  voluntary; 
and  I  conceive  that  the  Governor  or  King,  has  no  authority 
to  dispose  of  public  money,  in  such  i  way,  without  the 
sanction  of  parliament.  But  the  great  objection  to  the  re- 
ceiving of  public  grants,  is,  that  they  bind  the  receivers  to 
the  will  of  the  donors  ;  and  it  is  expected,  that  at  elections, 
those  who  receive  government  support,  will  use  their  influ- 
ence in  favor  of  the  government  party. 

As  regards  the  influence  of  Methodist  preachers  at  the  last 
election,  it  might  induce  some  to  vote  for  the  tory  candi- 
dates; however,  in  the  London  District  we  were  successful 

5* 


IT 

w 


54 


J<HJ1»NAL. 


•'i! 


in  returning  reformers  for  every  county  ;  so  that  six  liberal! 
members,  from  our  district,  in  spite  of  Orange  outrage,  are 
now  pleading  the  cause  of  equal  rights,  in  the  assembly. — 
Mr.  Burwell,  an  ultra  tory,  got  in  for  the  town  of  London, 
through  the  coining  of  deeds,  and  the  influence  of  a  tory  fac- 
tion, chiefly  in  office.  This  Mr.  Burwell  well  knew  that  he 
had  no  more  chance  of  getting  in  for  the  county  of  Middle- 
sex, and  therefore,  threw  himself  into  the  hands  of  time- 
serving office  holders.  But  who  would  have  thought  that 
any  Wesleyan  Methodists  would  have  voted  for  such  a  man 
as  Mr.  Burwell,  who  had  done  so  much  against  Methodism* 
Ah  I  but  some  deeds  were  pending  on  that  side  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  therefore  conscience  cannot  be  listened  to  in  such 
cases  of  self  interest. 

Such  were  my  sentiments  on  Canadian  politics,  which  1 
delivered  to  the  gentlemen  on  board  the  steam  boat,  and  to 
which  they  listened  with  attention.  But  when  I  supposed 
that  I  had  finished  my  speech,  many  gentlemen  urged  me  to 
go  on.  I  therefore  endeavored  to  show  the  value  of  such 
men  as  Mackenzie,  Bid  well,  Perry,  &;c.  to  the  Province, 
though  out  of  the  Parliament ;  and  of  Rolph,  Duncombe, 
Parke  and  others  who  are  laboring  in  the  house.  Also  that 
the  reformers  of  Upper  Canada  are  not  going  to  be  turned 
aside  from  their  duty,  by  the  corrupting  influence  of  apos- 
tate priests,  the  rascality  of  an  O  range-mob,  or  the  aristo- 
cratical  villany  of  a  corrupt  government.  I  thanked  them 
for  their  invitation  to  live  in  their  country,  but  told  them  1 
had  been  laboring  hard  by  my  axe  and  other  ways,  to  make 
Canada  my  home,  and  afer  all,  my  children  were  without 
education,  and  my  industry  and  hopes  were  nullified.  But 
if  I  could  not  get  education  for  my  children  in  Canada,  I 
would  go  to  the  United  States,   and  work  as  a  day  laborep 


JOURNA!, 


55 


hat 
ned 
pos- 
isto- 
lera 
ml 
lake 

lOUt 

But 
la,  I 
oreir 


before  they  should  go  without  it.     At  this  expression,  the 
whole  cabin  resounded  with  approbation. 

I  told  them  there  would  be  a  day  of  reckoning  with  the 
enemies  of  Upper  Canada,  and  that  that  day  was  fast  ap- 
proaching. The  demon-like  usage  which  the  reformers  re- 
ceived from  Sir  F.  B.  Head's  blood  hounds,  at  the  late  elec- 
tion, IS  deeply  engraven  on  every  honest  man's  memory  : 
and  whenever  that  time  shall  come  for  a  just  retribution  to 
overtake  the  tyrants  of  Ca-nada  and  their  vassals,  woe  will 
be  their  situation.  We  continued  the  discussion  of  these 
subjects  until  we  were  apprised  of  having  reached  Detroit, 
at  11  o'clock  at  night.  But  we  were  unable  to  obtain  beds 
for  love  or  money,  and  were  obliged  to  lie  on  the  floor  or  sit 
by  the  fire  at  an  Inn.  The  daily  flow  of  emigration  through 
Detroit  was  not  at  all  diminished  from  the  time  1  left  it  on 
my  way  to  Ohio.  As  we  did  not  sleep  much  at  the  Inn, 
without  beds,  we  conversed  on  different  subjects.  One  of 
the  company  asked  if  Mr.  Macken7.io  was  not  very  rich  :  to 
which  I  replied  I  did  not  know  ;  uai  I  suspected  not,  as  he 
had  never  been  a  favorite  of  government,  and  also  the  aris- 
tocracy did  him  all  the  harm  they  could  :  that  I  under^^ood 
at  one  time,  some  of  the  "  gentlemen"  of  Toronto  went  in 
open  day-light  to  Mr.  Mackenzie's  printing  office  and  took 
his  press,  types,  and  other  apparatus,  and  cast  them  .nto  the 
lake.  If  Toronto  can  produce  such  **  gentlemen,"  I  know 
not  what  kind  of  beings  their  blackguards  are.  Besides  tins, 
Mr.  Mackenzie  has  received  personal  insult  ;  atone  tune,  at 
Hamilton,  he  was  beat  on  the  head  with  an  axe  handle,  and 
would  undoubtedly  have  lost  his  life,  had  he  not  been  res- 
cued by  his  friends.  When  these  tory  gentlemen  were 
brought  to  trial  for  their  murderous  abuse  of  Mr.  Mackenzie, 
they  were  fined,  I  think,  twenty-five  pounds.     Such  is  the 


56 


JOURNAL. 


I 


protection  reformer^   receive  in  Upper  Canada,  by  British 
law. 

After  we  had  spent  the  night  at  the  Inn,  we  found  the 
morning  to  be  very  rainy,  but  not  too  rainy  for  steam  boats 
to  brino;  crowds  of  fresh  emigrants  to  Detroit  for  the  far 
west.  I  walked  through  the  city,  and  admired  the  enter- 
prize  of  its  inhabitants  and  the  immense  business  transacted, 
after  which  I  crossed  ilie  river  into  Upper  Canada  accompa- 
nied by  Col.  Adams.  While  walking  down  the  river  we 
observed  to  each  other,  what  a  beautiful  situation  the  Can- 
ada side  was  for  a  city,  yet  all  was  dull:  the  Colonel  observ- 
ed, all  was  still  as  Sunday;  and  that  he  did  not  blame  me  for 
being  dissatisfiied  with  such  a  government.  Here  was  one 
steam  boat,  but  without  passengers. — No  pleasure  trips 
on  the  Lake,  or  any  thing  that  showed  life  and  activity. 

I  parted  with  Col.  Adams  and  Mr.  King,  with  whom 
I  had  traveled  a  great  distance,  and  whose  company  was 
agreeable,  instructive  and  polite. 

,   On  Monday,    10th.  Oct.  1636,  I  arrived  safe  at  home, 
and  found  my  family  tolerably  well. 

The  impressions  made  on  my  mind  by  the  free  iusiitutions, 
amazing  interprise,  and  civil  and  religious  happiness  of  the 
United  States,  will  not  be  easily  erased. 

The  United  Stales  of  America  will  ere  long  be  the  most 
wealthy,  the  most  powerful,  and  the  most  happy  country  in 
the  whole  world.  In  the  short  period  since  their  indepen- 
dence, they  have  made  more  rapid  progress  in  internal  im- 
provements, foreign  and  domestic  trade  and  commerce,  artd 
and  sciences,  jurisprudence,  religion,  and  ♦he  great  secret 
of  making  a  nation  free  and  happy,  of  any  country  in  the 
history  of  the  world.  The  United  States  are  now  become 
the  wonder,  the  envy,  and  terror  of  Europe. 

If  it  be  asked  what  is  the  chief  cause  of  prosperity  in  the 


JOURNAL. 


57 


United  States  I  the  answer  is,  their  Elective  Institutions, 
the  Democratic  Principle,  which  runs  through  all  their 
projects.  They  have  no  Hereditary  rulers,  no  tilled  drones, 
no  useless  tax-eaters,  no  union  of  church  ond  slate;  and  as 
they  are  not  jealous  of  the  people  becoming  too  wise  to  be 
governed,  they  encourage  Education. 


CAUSES  OF  BAD  GOVERNMENT. 


the 


As  all  effects  are  producx,.  by  some  causes,  all  political 
evils  are  attributable  to  some  causes,  which,  if  known,  ought 
to  be  guarded  against. 

Nothing  has  a  greater  tendency  to  create  political  evils 
than  hereditary  succession  in  Rulers  and  Law-makers. 

Dr.  Paley  thinks  "An  hereditary  monarchy  is  universally 
to  be  preferred  to  an  elective  monarchy."  That  "A  crown 
is  too  splendid  a  prize  to  be  conferred  upon  merit."  If 
monarchy  be  good  at  all,  I  would  ask,  whether  a  man 
chosen  from  a  knowledge  of  his  virtue  and  qualifications, 
be  not  more  agreeable  to  common  sense,  than  hereditary 
succession,  by  which  we  may  have  a  wise  man  or  a  fool,  a 
profligate  youth  or  a  young  Miss  in  her  dancing  slippers. 

To  be  governed  by  a  genecocracy,  at  all,  is  a  degrada- 
tion to  any  country.  How  delightful  to  have  a  little  boy  or 
a  little  girl  to  be  the  sovereign  of  a  great  nation.  What  a 
glorious  opportunity  for  an  aristocracy  to  gain  advantages 
over  the  people!  Hereditary  monarchy  has  been  the  means 
of  many  kings'  losing  their  lives.  When  an  heir  to  a  throne, 
has  been  impatient  to  have  the  crown  on  his  head,  he  ha§ 


58 


JOURNAL. 


if 


! 


by  his  own  hands,  or  those  of  others,  dispatched  the 
reigning  monarch;  and  feigned  deep  sorrow  for  the  departed 
sire.  And  how  often,  when  the  right  to  a  crown  has  been 
disputed,  thousands  of  lives  have  been  lost  in  the  contest. 
Hundreds  of  years  have  been  spent  in  bloody  contest  by 
the  different  European  nations.  What  awful  pictures  do 
the  histories  of  England  and  Scotland,  present  to  a  reflect- 
ing mind,  of  civil  wars,  concerning  who  should  have  the 
crowns. 

If  the  oflice  of  king  be  so  arduous  and  important,  how  is 
it  that  men  vi'l  risk  their  lives,  in  contending  for  it  ?  No- 
thing can  be  more  silly,  than  for  a  man  to  stand  forth 
amongst  millions  of  people,  and  say  ; — I  am  the  wisest^  the 
most  virtuous,  and  the  best  qualified  to  govern  you:  he 
ought  to  let  the  people  judge  of  his  character,  and  qualifica- 
tions.    This  is  equally  applicable  to  all  public  officers. 

When  a  ruler  is  chosen  by  a  majority  of  the  people,  his 
office  ought  to  be  for  a  limited  time:  or  so  long  as  his  con- 
duct and  abilities  are  good.  Why  keep  a  ruler  in  office 
when  he  is  past  performing  the  important  functions:  or  induct 
a  child  into  such  an  office  when  it  cannot  take  care  of  itself? 
If  it  be  said  that  there  wns  such  kings  amongst  the  Jews; 
let  it  be  remembered  that  it  was  not  the  will  of  God,  but  the 
people  would  have  it  so.  They  refused  to  be  governed  by 
the  Almighty,  and  said,  "make  us  a  king  to  judge  us  like 
all  the  nations.''  I,  Samuel  8.  5.  and  when  Samuel  re- 
monstrated with  them,  they  said,  *'Nay;  but  we  will  have 
a  king."  When  the  Lord  could  not  turn  them  from  their 
purpose,  ho  said  unto  Samuel,  '*Harken  unto  their  voice, 
and  make  them  a  king."  The  Jews  wished  to  have  heredi- 
tary monarchsy  ''like  all  the  nations,"  and  therefore  they 
had  their  fill  of  them,  as  their  history  proves. 

The  wise  choice  of  the  people,  of  the  presidents  of  the 


JOURNAL. 


50 


ews; 

the 
dby 

ike 

re- 
have 
their 
oice, 
redi- 

they 

ftho 


1^ 


United  States,  has  materially  contributed  to  the  prosperity 
and  happiness  of  that  Republic.  Wore  no  other  alteration 
at  present  to  take  place  in  the  United  States  Constitution  ex- 
cept in  making  a  man  President  for  life,  and  his  children 
an  hereditary  succession,  how  speedily  would  that  delightful 
fabric  tumble  down.  That  moment  the  blasting  hand  of 
death  would  be  seen  on  every  branch  of  that  healthy  consti- 
tution. I  consider  hereditary  government  is  madness:  for  it 
supposes,  because  the  king  is  wise  and  good,  his  children 
must  be  so  also.  Suppose  a  certain  doctor  is  skilful,  and 
he  cures  me  of  a  sickness,  but  he  dies,  and  under  another 
sickness  I  apply  to  his  son  to  cure  me;  and  if  he  shall  say 
I  am  no  doctor,  and  I  reply,  pshaw  !  your  father  was  a  good 
doctor,  and  therefore  you  must  be  also  :  would  he  not  have 
me  sent  to  an  asylum  for  madness. 

The  fact  of  the  case  is,  an  Emperor,  King  or  President, 
is  nothing  more  than  a  chief  Magistrate,  and  lie  ought  to  be 
chosen  for  his  wisdom,  virtue  and  public  spirit,  to  execute 
the  laws  which  are  made  for  the  good  of  alL  And  when- 
ever the  office  is  obtained  for  private  honors  and  emolu- 
ments, and  the  people  suffer  it  to  be  so,  they  may  expect 
to  be  slaves. 

Monarchical  people  are  perpetually  telling  us,  that  the  sa- 
cred Scriptures  command  us  to  *'Honor  the  king;"  but  they 
forget  to  tell  us,  that  St.  Peter  in  the  same  verse,  before  he 
commands  us  to  honor  the  king,  commands  us,  to  "Honor 
all  men."  If  we  *'honor  all  men,"  we  shall  "honor  the 
king,"  and  if  the  king  conduct  himself  with  propriety,  he 
will  have  the  respect  his  office  entitles  him  to;  and  chris- 
tians will  not  be  behind  others  in  showing  their  respect. 
But  they  will  not  worship  a  king.  How  many  idolatrous 
worshippers  kings  have;  they  will  bow  many  times  a  day  to 
an  earthly  king,  but  will  not  once  bow  to  the  king  of  heaven; 


fl 


I  i 


60 


JOURNAL. 


♦•Who  worship  the  creature  more  than  the  creator,  who 
blessed  forever  more."  St  Paul. 


HEREDITARY  PEERAGE. 


I 


If  hereditary  monarchy  be  an  evil  how  much  worse 
must  it  be  to  have  hundreds  of  hereditary  peers;  without 
whose  consent,  no  bill  can  become  law,  or  reform  effected. 
This  however  is  not  the  worst  of  a  Peerage.  In  England, 
till  very  lately,  a  majority  of  the  House  of  Commons  were 
elected  through  the  influence  of  the  peers,  consequently, 
there  was  no  democratical  principle  in  operation  in  the  gov- 
ernment. Such  were  the  steriie  minds,  the  apathetic  souls, 
the  fawning  habits  and  the  slavish  fears  of  a  great  mass  of 
the  British  people  for  ages,  that  it  cost  the  reformers  a  migh- 
ty struggle  to  bring  the  democratic  principle  once  more  into 
operation.  These  people  have  now  awaked  as  from  a  long 
night's  sleep,  and  are  astonished  at  their  past  conduct.  That 
the  British  people  should  have  suffered  themselves  to  be 
taxed,  starved,  robbed,  insulted,  trodden  under  foot,  mur- 
dered in  their  hereditary  wars,  and  that  for  so  many  ages, 
is  past  accounting  for !  !  ! 

It  has  been  my  deliberate  opinion  for  many  years,  that 
an  Upper  House  is  useless  and  vexatious.  And  that  one 
House  of  the  people's  representatives,  with  a  chief  Magis- 
trate to  execute  the  laws,  are  quite  sufficient  for  all  useful 
purposes.  Why  feed  a  set  of  men  on  the  fat  of  the  land, 
and  pamper  them  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  and  give  them  powers 
and  privileges  by  which  they  may  insult  and  injure  a  whole 
nation? 


I  I  14««,«H 


JOURNAL. 


61) 


To  protect  such  an  Aristocracy,  standing  armies  art- 
kept  up,  and  navies  are  employed.  Were  it  not  for  here- 
ditary monarchies  and  peerage,  very  few  soldiers  would  b<; 
required.  The  expensive  and  destructive  wars  carried  on 
by  England  against  the  powers  of  Europe,  were  to  support 
the  hereditary  titles  and  emoluments  of  the  king  and  the 
aristocracy,  to  the  disgrace  and  ruin  of  the  people. 

The  war  with  America,  made  to  enforce  the  tyrannical 
principle  of  taxation,  without  representation,  cost  England 
129,123,091  pounds  sterling.  The  expense  of  the  French 
war  beginning  in  1793,  and  ending  in  1815,  was  1,427, 
219,964  pounds  sterling,  or  nearly  50  millions  a  year  on 
an  average  of  twenty  tv/o  years.  The  national  debt  of 
Great  Britain,  is  at  present  3,490,896,768  dollars;  and  her 
yearly  revenue  228,849,600  dollars.  These  are  some  of 
the  fruits  of  hereditary  peerage,  of  the  law  of  primogeni- 
ture. Again  from  1815  to  1833,  the  cost  of  the  English 
army,  navy  and  other  war  matters  was: — Two  hundred  and 
thirty  millions  of  pounds  sterling,  and  in  a  time  of  general 
peace.  ■  • 

The  annual  expenditure  in  salaries,  pensions,  sinecures, 
half-pay,  superannuations,  compensations,  and  allowances, 
is  9,457,989  pounds  sterling. 

We  will  now  compare  some  of  the  expenses  of  England 
with  those  of  the  United  States. 


United  Slates.  England. 

Officers  of  State,     15,680/  Officers  of  state,      816,600/ 

Diplomatic  Body,  27,600  Diplomatic  Body,       95,250 

Consuls,                   3,600  Consuls,                     40,000 


Total     46^880/ 


Total     941,850/ 


6 


6ti 


JOUKNAL* 


V'-\ 


ik 


u4 


11 


^ 


It  is  also  clearly  made  out,  that  full  half  that  every  poor 
man  earns  in  England,  goes  to  the  taxes;  that  is,  goes  to 
enrich  and  aggrandize  an  avaricious  aristocracy.  And 
because  they  cannot  get  satisfied  with  tho  taxes  at  home, 
they  compass  sea  and  land  for  colonies  to  increase  their 
wealth  and  power.  These  colonies  are  governed  by  men 
who  will  support  the  aristocracy.  Colonies  are  generally 
governed  by  a  rod  of  iron.  South  America  suffered  long 
enough.  The  cord  would  not  stretch  any  more,  and  there- 
fore broke.  And  as  the  United  States  have  broken  off  their 
yoke,  England  must  take  care  how  she  governs  Canada. 
Sir  F.  B.  Head  seems  to  be  preparing  Upper  Canada  for 
independence,  very  fast.  Let  him  have  another  election 
or  two,  and  the  game  will  be  up.  ?     <    •?      . 

I  shall  now  notice  some  of  the  evils  endured  by  the  peo- 
ple who  live  under  hereditary  government,  besides  the  heavy 
taxes  which  I  have  briefly  noticed.  Distinctions  in  society 
is  an  evil  of  no  small  magnitude.  We  often  talk  of  castes 
in  India,  and  think  the  people  foolish  for  not  associating  and 
marrying  with  persons  of  another  caste  ;  but  what  shall  we 
say  to  a  professedly  christian  nation  like  England  or  Ireland 
where  distinctions  are  observed  worse  than  in  any  heathen 
country.  There  are  royal  blood,  noble  blood,  gentleman 
blood,  tradesman  blood,  common  labor  blood,  pauper  blood, 
and  beggar  blood  ;  and  these  often  subdivided.  For  one  of 
these  grades  to  marry  with  another  grade  will  not  do.  Th'i 
higher  look  with  contempt  on  the  lower.  How  disgusting 
to  a  person  of  common  sense  and  good  feeling  to  hear  the 
nobles  and  gentry  talk  of  their  birth  and  blood!  "  God  hath 
made  of  one  blood  all  the  nations  of  the  earth."  But  all 
this  is  the  fruit  of  an  aristocracy,  the  consequence  of  primo- 
geniture.    Upper  Canada  exhibits  branches  of  this  degene- 


JOURNAI« 


63 


all 

Imo- 

jne- 


rale  stock,  sprigs  of  a  wouid-bc  nobility  :  but  the  peo2)lc 
iuugli  at  their  pretensions. 

Another  evil  arising  out  of  hereditary  governments  is 
deeply  Celt,  in  tho  unequal  laws  by  which  tiie  people  are 
governed,  and  the  partial  manner  in  which  tlicy  arn  admi- 
nistered. The  nobles  have  their  privileges  and  exemptions, 
in  consequence  of  their  duties  to  be  performed  for  the  King. 
The  taxes  are  heavier  on  the  poor  than  on  the  rich.  *'The 
customs  and  excise  alone,"  says  Cobbett,  **  amount  to 
forty-four  millions  out  o''  sixty  millions  of  pounds  of  the 
yearly  revenue  ;  and  the  people  of  the  middle  and  working 
classes  pay  five  times  as  much  as  tho  higher  classes,  in  pro- 
portion to  tl>eir  means."  Then  there  are  the  game  laws, 
which  send  more  men  to  the  tread  mill  than  all  other  laws 
together.  And  how  difficult  for  a  poor  man  to  get  justice 
done  him  at  a  bench  of  magistrates,  es[)ecially  if  he  be  a  re- 
former. All  this  is  a  natural  consequence  of  aristocratical 
influence  in  any  country. 

Ignorance  is  another  awful  evil  felt  by  the  poor  under  an 
aristocracy  :  for,  if  the  people  get  once  enlightened,  they 
will  soon  burst  through  their  shackles.  Hence,  the  chris- 
tian aristocracy  always  recommended  a  sjmring  education 
to  the  poor.  To  wholly  deprive  the  poor  of  instruction, 
would  be  heathen;  and  to  enlighten  them,  would  be  to  eman- 
cipate them.  Therefore,  they  will  tell  the  poor  people  if 
their  children  can  get  to  read  a  chapter  in  the  Testament, 
that  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  them. 

Poverty  and  vassalage^  also,  are  the  legitimate  offsprings 
af  an  aristocracy,  which  need  no  explanation  to  be  under- 
stood.    "  ;  ^..  •  J 

To  uphold  such  a  hereditary  government,  an  kstablish- 
jSD  CHURCH  is  considered  essential. 

1,  To  givG  sanction  to  unjust  and  assumed  prerogatives. 


if 


H4 


JOURNAL. 


I'd 

■JV: 


2.  To  give  a  religious  coloring  to  State  marriages  an«I 
divorces.  Who,  but  an  Archbishop  of  the  State,  would  have 
transacted  this  sort  of  business  for  Henry  VIII.  1 

3.  State  religion  is  required  to  carry  on  unnatural  wars 
with  neighboring  states.  For  State  Bishops  always  encou- 
rage war  ;  and  if  successful,  they  devoutly  thank  Alnnighty 
God,  that  they  have  been  victorious — that  they  have  put  to 
death  some  tens  of  thousands  of  human  beings  for  not  doing 
as  they  wanted  them. 

4.  Whatever  unjust  laws  or  unequal  taxes  are  imposed, 
all  is  right,  so  long  as  the  Right  Reverend  Fathers  in  God 
have  given  their  approbation  to  them. 

5.  State  religion  is  particularly  useful  in  persu^iding  the 
people  to  pay  homage  to  an  aristocracy — to  bow  with  sub- 
mission to  hereditary  Lords,  and  to  keep  the  poor  in  their 
places. 

6.  Some  of  the  evils  of  this  State  religion  are  seen  in  the 
hypocrites  and  infidels  it  makes,  and  fell  by  the  millions  it 
damns. 

7.  State  religion  always  persecutes  dissenters,  and  has 
made  its  millions  of  martyrs. 

8.  State  religion  is  strongly  objectionable,  on  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  its  ministers  are  manufaclMved .  The 
people  are  never  asked  who  they  think  would  be  likely  to 
make  ministers.  All  that  these  State  priests  have  to  learn 
to  qualify  them  for  the  ministry,  is,  a  monotonous  tone  of 
reading,  a  little  writing,  and  a  smattering  of  arithmetic.  It 
is  said  that  they  are  required  to  learn  Latin,  Greek  and 
the  Mathematics  ;  but  I  am  told  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
Church  of  England  clergy  know  very  lillle  of  these  things. 
However,  I  understand  that  dissenting  ministers  are  great 
scholars — knowing  many  languages  and  many  sciences. — 
When  one  of  the  aristocracy  has  several  sons,  and  of  loo 


a 

Ci 


JOURNAL. 


has 


flhe 
ings. 
^reat 

;s. — 
f  loo 


high  n  caste  or  blood  to  send  them  to  bo  tradesmen,  then  one 
tnust  be  an  oflicor  in  the  army,  another  an  ofllcer  in  the 
navy,  and  the  greatest  dtinco,  a  parson.  So  that  tliese  par- 
sons are  chosen  while  tlioy  no  boys,  not  by  Christ  or  his 
church,  but  by  the  families  of  these  children.  They  get 
them  put  into  the  priest's  ollice  for  a  piece  of  bread  ! 

9.  But  State  religion  is  objectionable  on  account  of  its 
bigotry.  There  is  no  salvation  out  of /ActV  churcli.  This 
was  the  case  with  the  Jews  at  the  time  when  Christ  was  on 
the  earth  ;  and  it  has  been  so  ever  since  with  every  state 
established  church.  In  reading  the  history  of  England,  we 
find  that  for  hundreds  of  years,  it  did  not  matter  whether 
Catholic  or  Protestant  was  in  the  service  of  the  State,  all 
dissenters  had  to  suffer. 

10.  Religious  establishments  are  oppressive  in  exacting 
their  tithes  and  revenues.  The  present  state  of  Ireland  and 
England,  is  a  demonstration  of  this  fact. 

11.  Established  churches  are  voluptuous  in  their  living. 
The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  has    41,100/  per  year. 


61,700 
10,200 
12,500 
21,340 


(i 


(( 


(( 


(( 


Bishop  of  Durham, 

Bishop  o^ London,      -         -         - 

Bishop  of  Litchfield, 

Bishop  of  Ely,  -        -         -        - 

This  money  is  sterling. 

Besides,  these  bishops  have  from  twenty  to  fifty  livings 
each,  and  all  the  other  bishops  have  many  thousands  a  year. 
The  bishop  of  Durham  has  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  THOUSAND  TWO  HUNDRED  and  SEVENTY-FOUR  DOLLARS 

a  year,  besides  livings  unknown.  Rather  a  fat  bishopric 
this.  The  whole  yearly  revenue  of  the  English  church  is 
about  10,000,000/,  or  44,444,444  dollars.  These  clergy 
cannot  say  with  Peter  and  John,  silver  and  gold  have  we 
Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  is  the  very  sort  of 
6* 


none 


I 


W: 


■  "WM^WHI'^lJIIIl^ 


66 


JOURNAL. 


m 


church,  nay,  the  very  church  Sir  F.  B .  Head  wants  to  sad- 
dle on  Upper  Canada. 

12.  But  this  established  church  is  impious  in  her  titles. — 
Our  Lord  does  not  allow  his  ministers  to  assume  honorary 
titles.  ♦'  Be  ye  not  called  Rahbi.'^  Rabbi  was  a  title  in  the 
Jewish  church  equal  to  doctor.  But  we  have  how-a-days 
"  Doctors  of  divinity."  And  Christ  says,  **  call  no  man 
fr-her  upon  earth."  But  we  have  now  "  Right  Reverend 
Fathers  in  God."  Again  St.  Peter  says — '*Be  not  lords 
over  God^s  heritage."  Yet  we  have  '*  Lord  Bishops,"  and 
lords  of  parliament.  And  the  Archbishops  are  on  a  par 
with  the  Dukes,  *'His  Grace  the  Archbishop,"  &c.  And 
we  have  our  Lord  Bishop  of  Quebec,  and  from  accounts, 
Archdeacon  Strachan  is  panting  for  the  title  and  office;  and 
if  any  thing  can  entitle  him  to  the  office  of  a  Bishop,  his 
sermon  at  London  the  last  summer  deserves  it,  as  it  was  a 
genuine  established  church  sermon.  Another  pernicious 
consequence  of  hereditary  governments,  is  their  fatal  effects 
to  the  liberties  of  the  people,  at  the  times  of  elections.  1 
need  not  spend  time  to  convince  my  readers  of  this  fact,  as 
ihey  had  a  demonstration  of  it  at  the  last  election  in  Upper 
Canada  ;  and  in  England  and  Ireland  for  ages,  through  this 
principle,  a  mixed  government  in  name,  was  neither  more 
nor  less  than  a  pure  aristocracy,  which  is,  in  many  cases, 
worse  than  despotism. 

Some  may  think  that  I  have  given  too  lengthy  a  descrip- 
tion of  hereditary  evils,  or  evils  arising  out  of  the  present 
and  past  tory  governments  of  Great  Britain,  &c.  But  I 
wish  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  my  readers,  that  the  present 
colonial  policy  of  ^.he  government  of  Upper  Canada,  is,  to 
entail  upon  this  province  all  the  evils  under  which 
England  and  Ireland  have  been  groaning  for  centu- 
ries ! !     And  that  if  the   people  of  this  province,   quietly 


to 


■^ 


JOURNAL. 


67 


submit  to  the  present  doings  of  our  provincial  governnient, 
they  will  very  shortly  have  to  take  the  matter  into  their  own 
hands,  or  leave  the  province.  Shall  we,  on  the  continent 
of  America,  in  the  nineteenth  century,  tamely  submit  to  the 
establishment  of  a  dominant  church,  and  suffer  all  other 
churches  to  be  corrupted  by  government  Gran/5  or  clergy 
reserves  ?  Shall  we  suffer  a  vile  and  senseless  aristocracy 
to  pension  themselves  on  our  industry  ?  and  to  allow  them 
to  convert  us  from  free  and  independent  citizens  into paiqyers 
and  slaves  of  an  idle,  ignorant,  haughty  and  wicked  aristo- 
cratical  set  of  plunderer?  1  And  shall  we  submit  to  all  this, 
at  a  time  when  South  America  is  bursting  through  her  fet- 
ters, and  even  Europe  itself  is  preparing  for  liberty,  but  par- 
ticularly when  we  have  such  an  example  of  freedom  and 
happiness  in  the  United  States  "? 

I  have  detailed  a  few  of  the  evils  of  the  old  country  that 
Canadians  may  see  what  to  expect  from  a  high-flying  tory 
faction. 

I  shall  now  refer  to  some  of  the  evils  under  whicn  the 
people  are  suffering,  in 


U'   ; 


UPPER   CANADA. 


etlv 


Firstly.  From  the  Governors*  being  chosen  for  purposes 
opposite  to  those,  which  are  for  tho  welfare  of  the  people. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  king  does  not  choose  his  pro- 
vincial governors,  but  merely  sanctions  the  choice  of  his 
ministers.  When  a  new  governor  is  to  be  made  choice  of, 
the  colonial  secretary  and  his  friends  consider  who  they 
have  to  whom  they  are  under  some  obligation  or  promises, 
and  will  second  their  policy  in  the  colony,  by  keeping  in 
office  such  and  such  men,  and  who  will  do  all  that  they  can 
to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance  of  government  tricks,  and 


f 

mi'. 


I' 


69 


JOURNAL. 


keep  them  in  proper  subjection.  We  know,  too  well,  the 
course  pursued  by  ministeis  of  state,  to  suppose  that  the 
welfare  of  the  people  is  the  chief  object  in  view,  in  the  choice 
of  governors.  The  darling  church  must  be  kept  up,  land 
companies  must  be  obliged,  and  the  interests  of  the  tory 
party  must  be  supported  ;  and  particularly,  democracy  must 
be  kept  down. 

Canadians  !  do  you  think  that  the  welfare  of  the  people 
has  been  the  chief  object  in  view  in  the  choice  of  your  late 
governors?  particularly  in  the  choice  of  Sir  F.  B»  Head  ?  1 
trow  not !  Would  it  not  be  more  consister  i  with  common 
sense,  that  a  man  from  among  us  here,  shov  'd  be  chosen  to 
be  our  governor,  who  is  well  acquainted  ', /ith  Canadian  af- 
fairs than  to  have  an  ignoramus  sent  us  four  thousand  niiles 
distance  ?  So  long  as  we  have  such  governors  as  we  have 
at  present,  we  may  expect  such  governments. 

Secondly.  In  the  next  place  I  would  observe,  we  suffer 
from  an  irresponsible  executive  council. 

The  people  of  this  province  are  now  fully  convinced  that 
the  governor  chooses  an  executive  council,  merely  to  screen 
himself  ;  and  that  the  council  is  of  no  real  utility  to  the  pro- 
vince. That  the  governor  seldom  consults  them,  but  acts 
despotically.  Indeed,  of  so  little  utility  are  the  executive 
councillors  to  the  province,  that  a  select  committee  of  the 
late  house  of  assembly  in  their  report  on  the  subject,  say — 
^^  The  country  were  ignorant  how  much  the  aifairs  of  the 
province  had  been  conducted  by  the  arbitrary  will  of  the 
lieutenant  governor  himself,  with  no  other  counsel  than  the 
secret  suggestions  and  recommendations  of  unsworn,  irre- 
sponsible and  unknown  advisers."  Again  they  say,  "Much 
and  justly  as  the  people  of  the  province  had  been  dissatisfied 
with  the  condition  of  our  public  affairs,  they  were  neverthe- 
less not  aware  of  the  extent  to  which  the  unconstitutional 


JOURNAL. 


69 


proceedings  of  the  lieutenant  governors  of  this  province  had 
been  carried." 

"  Every  day,  however,  discovers  new  cause  of  complaint 
on  the  one  hand,  and  the  contemptuous  indifTcrence  with 
which  all  complaints  are  regarded  on  the  other.' ^  On  the 
appointment  of  Messrs.  Dunn,  Baldwin  and  Rolph,  the  same 
committee  say — **  Your  committee  are  forced  to  believe  thai 
the  appointment  of  the  new  councillors,  was  a  deceitful  ma- 
noeuvre to  gain  credit  with  the  country  for  liberal  feelings 
and  intentions,  where  none  really  existed  ;  for  it  was  noto- 
rious that  his  Excellency  had  really  given  his  confidence  to, 
and  was  acting  under  the  influence  of,  secret  and  unsworn 
advisers."  Such  was  tlie  opinion  of  a  select  committee  of 
the  late  house  of  assembly  ;  and  as  the  subject  has  been  so 
ably  discussed  in  the  province  at  large,  I  have  no  doubt,  but 
this  set  of  mock  councillors  is  fully  understood  by  all. 

Upper  Canada  sufl^ers  in  the  next  place  from  what  is  cal- 
led the  legislative  council,  or  house  of  peers.  I  have,  in  a 
former  part  of  this  work,  expressed  my  dissent  from  the 
doctrine  of  an  upper  house  ;  and  if  an  upper  house  is  proved 
to  be  an  evil  in  England  and  other  places  in  Europe,  it  is 
felt  a  more  oppressive  evil  in  Upper  Canada.  It  is  of  lillle 
use  to  the  people's  choosing  a  reform  house  of  assembly, 
when  all  their  bills  of  liberal  measures  and  improvements 
are  tomahawked  by  the  lordly  legislative  council.  Were  J 
disposed  to  argue  the  doctrine  of  an  upper  house,  I  would 
ask,  wherein  the  wisdom  of  i>.'ch  a  house  surpasses  the  wis- 
dom of  the  people's  representatives  ?  or  why  the  people 
should  be  so  deluded  as  to  elect  representatives,  and  suffer  a 
handful  of  tory  tax-eaters  to  nullify  all  their  deliberations, 
and  to  send  them  home  as  fools  ?  Has  not  England  been 
suffering  for  centuries  from  an  haughty,  domineering  peer- 
age?    And  shall  we,  on  the  continent  of  America,  who 


I 


70 


JOURNAL. 


' 


m 


1 


In' 


have  set  such  examples  to  the  world — the  continent  on  which 
so  many  victories  of  freedom  have  been  achieved — bear  it 
any  longer  1 

My  Canadian  friends  !  are  we  any  longer  to  be  duped  by 
a  proud  oligarchy,  who  are  feeding  on  the  blood  of  an 
infant  settlement]  Of  what  further  use  is  it  for  us  to  con- 
tend with  an  Orange  mob,  and  get  our  heads  broken  and 
blood  spilled,  if  after  all,  our  representatives  arc  to  be  in- 
sulted, and  stigmatised  as  rebels,  disloyal,  and  by  every  op- 
probrious epithet  *?  '  . 

T^lk  of  a  mixed  government,  indeed  !  The  three  estates  ! ! 
yes,  we  have  three  estates — a  tory,  an  aristocracy,  and  an 
oligarchy  J  the  compound  of  which  is  a  pure  despotism  !  !  ! 
As  for  our  democracy,  it  is  useless,  and  1  verily  think  our 
king  has  very  little  to  do  with  the  matter. 

In  the  first  instance  we  have  a  constitution  sent  us,  to 
which  ve  are  obliged  to  consent.  In  this  constitution  a  high 
or  upper  house  is  palmed  on  us,  above  us,  and  independent 
of  us.  This  oligarchial  house  is  the  great  source  of  all  the 
evils  we  endure.  Remove  then  the  cause,  and  the  effects 
will  cease  !  Make  this  house  elective,  if  we  must  have 
it,  or  else  dash  it  to  the  ground. 

Closely  connected  with  the  above  evil,  and,  indeed,  inter- 
woven with  it,  is  the  influence  of  the  priesthood. 

1.  In  a  dominant  established  church.  For  though  Cana- 
dians boasted,  till  very  lately,  that  there  was  no  church  es- 
tablishment in  Canada,  yui  tliey  are  now  made  to  understand 
that  fifty-seven  rectories  are  given  them  as  an  earnest  of 
more  :  for  it  is  not  unhkely  that  ere  long  the  fifty-seven 
will  be  increased  to  five  hundred  and  seventy,  or  perhaps  a 
greater  number.  ' 

Now,  no  man  of  common  sense  believes  that  any  civil 
government  establishes  a  church  for  the  sake  of  spreading 


JOURNAL. 


71 


\  1 


iter- 

ina- 
es- 
tand 
3t  of 
iven 
|ps  a 

;ivil 
ling 


the  gospel;  but  merely  because  it  is  impossible  to  keep  to- 
gether a  despotic  government  without  a  state  priesthood.  A 
free  government  requires  no  established  church,  and  in  very 
deed,  they  cannot  exist  together.  A  free  government,  and 
a  pure  christian  church,  can  no  more  be  united  than  heaven 
and  hell:  for  said  Christ,  *'my  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world."  And  farther,  a  free  government,  and  an  imjmrc 
church  cannot  be  united:  for  the  church  will  destroy  the 
freedom  of  the  state  !  !  !  Any  evidence  required  on  the  above 
facts  will  be  found  in  that  luminous  speech  delivered  in  our 
house  of  assembly  on  the  14th  Dec.  1836,  by  Doctor  John 
Rolph,  which  speech  contains  a  flood  of  light  on  church 
establishments,  sufficient  to  convince  any  man,  except  those 
whose  eyes  are  blind  by  established  gold  or  silver  dust, 
that  to  unite  church  and  state  is  an  attempt  to  unite  God 
and  mammon.  These  religious  ministers  who  receive  gov- 
ernment bounty,  are  considered  State  servants,  and  as 
such  must  please  their  patrons.  But  St.  Paul  says.  "If 
we  strive  to  please  men,  we  are  not  the  servants  of  Christ." 
Consequently,  such  will  have  to  reckon  with  the  master 
whom  they  have  served.  I  have  been  long  of  the  opinion, 
that  the  continued  degraded  state  of  the  heathen  vvorld  is 
chargeable  to  established  churches;  and  that  the  devil  is 
more  successful  by  getting  state  churches  established,  than 
by  all  other  ways  put  together.  The  rapidity  ^.f  the  gospel 
before  Constantine  professed  the  christian  faith,  and  the 
slowness  of  its  progress  since,  is  one  strong  proof.  Estab- 
lished church  ministers,  are  generally  too  idle  and  worldly 
to  become  missionaries,  and  their  luxuries  need  all  the  mo- 
ney they  can  get,  without  sending  it  abroad.  Dissenters 
have  shoved  a  few  into  the  field,  but  only  a  few;  it  takes 
too  much  to  shove  them  and  convert  them. 

2.  The  government  of  Upper  Canada,  found  it  out  some 


72 


JOURNAL. 


It' 


|''V     !-^ 


\::-m 


time  since  that  their  own  power  united  with  the  church, 
which  had  forages  been  so  successful  an  ally  with  the  go- 
vernment of  the  British  empire  elsewhere,  was  not  sufficient 
to  bear  up  against  the  democracy  and  religious  dissenters  of 
Upper  Canada,  Therefore  a  plot  more  fatal  than  the  gun- 
powder plot,  was  contrived  to  entangle  the  most  influential 
religious  dissenters  in  the  meshes  of  tory  politics,  by  go- 
vernment  grants.  A  thousand  pounds ^  currency,  looked  so 
very  temptmg,  and  the  sound  so  delightful,  that  even  the 
Wesleyan  Methodists  (Itinerant  preachers)  were  so  captiva- 
ted, that  notwithstanding  their  liberal  principles,,  and  their 
former  declarations,  the  tory  bait  was  too  much  for  them. 
That  these  preachers  were  not  always  disposed  to  receive 
such  grants,  (at  least  when  they  could  not  get  them,)  hear 
what  the  Rev.  Egerton  Ryerson  says  in  his  book,  called 
"claims  of  the  churchmen  and  dissenters,"  or  "with  respect 
to  the  support  aflTorded  to  religion  by  the  civil  government, 
matter  of  fact  proves  that  it  can  answer  no  beneficial  pur- 
pose. The  church  of  Christ  never  was  so  prosperous  and 
sojpwreas  she  was  in  the  first  three  centuries.  She  was 
not  only  without  the  aid  of  the  civil  government,  but  was 
most  violently  opposed  by  it." 

**We  can  derive  no  weight  or  solemnity  from  human 
sanction.  "The  kingdom  of  God,  says  Jesus,  is  within  you." 
It  is  divested  of  that  external  pomp  and  splendor  which  are 
calculated  to  excite  the  admiration  of  the  world;  and  why 
then  should  a  union  with  worldly  men,  and  worldly  policy, 
be  considered  essential  to  its  diffusion  and  establishment? 
Is  it  not  plain  that  whoever  insists  upon  this  heterogeneous 
union  degrades  the  religion  of  Jesus,  and  displays  an  igno- 
rance of  its  gracious  power?  Is  this  not  making  Christiani- 
ty a  pension  upon  political  benevolence,  rather  than  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation?  (Rom.  1.  16.) 


imaii 


leous 
igno- 
tiani- 
the 


JOURNAL. 


T3 


A  tool  of  the  state  more  tlian  "a  briglit  emanation  tVom 
heaven."  "No  wonder  then  that  the  power  of  religion  when 
":Ioggo(l  with  the  selfish  contrivances  of  men,  is  always 
weakened." 

Mr.  Ryerson  must  have  been  converted  by  something 
more  powerful  than  a  steam  engine,  to  write  like  the  above, 
and  so  soon  after,  thankfully  accept  of  government  grants. 

"Ah,  cursed  lust  of  gold,  when  for  thy  sake,  the  fool 
throws  up  his  interest  in  both  worlds.''  But  Mr.  Ryerson 
will  answer,  I  have  not  received  the  "grant,"  the  missiona- 
ries have.  But  he  cannot  deny  that  his  brethren  of  the 
same  church  have  received  the  mcney,  and  that  he  has 
sanctioned  the  reception.  Through  the  influence  of  "grants" 
Mr.  Ryerson  is  now  in  England  pleading  the  cause  of 
Canadian  tories,  writing  letters  to  the  Colonial  Secretary, 
recommending  an  executive  councillor,  &c.  &c.;  and  we 
are  all  of  us  satisfied  that  those  long  letters  on  Canadian 
politics,  publislied  in  the  Times,  are  from  his  pen. 

But  now  let  us  hear  what  Mr.  Ryerson  says  in  his  book 
on  serving  tables,  page  109.  "And  what  shall  we  say  of 
those  clergymen  who  neglect  their  pastoral  charge  to  en- 
gage in  other  employments, — who  leave  the  house  of  God 
to  serve  tables?  shall  we  be  silent  while  Heaven  weeps,  and 
the  church  of  God  which  he  has  purchased  with  his  own 
blood,  bleeds  at  every  pore?"    May  we  not  transcribe  Cow- 

per's  lines  from  his  (Mr.  Ryerson's)  own  book,  and  say, 
"The  sacred  function  in  your  hands  is  made 
Sad  sacrilege  !  no  function,  but  a  trade!" 
Why  tftlk  about  being  set  apart  for  the  ministry?  My  be- 
ing more  closely  connected  with  the  Wesleyan  Methodists 
than  with  other  sects,  I  think  it  right  and  fair,  to  begin  at 
home  ;  I  also  equally  condemn  other  bodies  of  christian 
name,    who  receive  the  hrihe,     I   would  observe   further, 

7 


;=i  .'. 


74 


JOURNAL. 


that  my  sentiments  on  government  grants,  are  1  believe,  the 
sentiments  of  a  vast  majority  of  tiie  members  of  the  VVes- 
leyan  Methodist  Church. 

3.  The  dominant  church,  wliich  is  never  sufficiently  gor- 
ged with  wealth,  did  in  the  reign  of  George  III,  contrive  to 
get  a  bill  passed  in  the  English  Parliament  by  which  one 
seventh  of  the  whole  Province  of  Upper  Canada  was  set 
apart  for  a  Protestant  Clergy.  The  lovely,  pure,  and 
Apostolic  established  church,  conceiving  that  they  were  the 
only  constitutional  clergy,  made  a  mighty  grab  for  the  whole 
of  the  Reserves;  and  have  been  reaping  the  fruits  of  these 
Reserves,  at  least  of  as  many  as  they  could  sell  and  lease, 
ever  since.  But  the  Dissenters  finding  themselves  getting 
stronger,  called  themselves  Protestant  Clergy  also ;  and 
they  are  pushing  their  points  for  a  slice  of  the  reserve  loaf, 
^'nd  so  successful  have  they  been,  that  they  are  every  day 
expecting  their  several  slices  to  be  given  them  by  law! 
It  is  not  certain  whether  any  of  the  churches  will  refuse 
them;  we  are  assured  that  those  who  have  petitioned  for 
them  will  not.  Now,  it  is  well  known,  that  the  church  of 
England  would  never  consent  that  others  should  share 
with  them,  if  they  could  help  it;  but  as  they  cannot,  they 
have  even  consented  that  their  dear  prostitute  sister,  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  (Protestant  or  not)  shall  have  a 
portion  with  themselves,  because  they  cannot  help  it.  But 
what  shall  we  say  to  the  established  clergy's  consenting  to 
the  Wesleyans'  having  a  piece  also?  What  a  change  must 
have  taken  place  since  Mr.  Ryerson  wrote  his  "Claims  of 
the  Churchmen  and  Dissenters!"  Doctor  Rolph  observes, 
"what  a  powerful  solvent  is  money."  In  the  Christian 
Guardian  of  1831.  No.  15.  E.  Ryerson  &  W.  Smith, 
Editors,  they  have  the  following  words: — "We  will  now 
say  that  we  would  sooner  the  Episcopal  Church  should 


^ 


JOURNAL. 


T5 


i'» 


have  the.  whole  of  the  reserves  than  that  thoy  should  he  di- 
vided or  given  to  any  other  denomination."  They  surely 
could  not  mean  their  own  Episcopal  Church,  as  it  was  at 
that  time.     But,  0!  this  solventl 

Well,  cannot  the  government  preserve  Upper  Canada 
from  claiming  her  independence  without  prostituting  the 
religion  of  Christ  to  the  unhallowed  porposes  of  aristocrati- 
cal  misrule  and  tory  tyranny '?  And  will  the  christain 
people  of  Upper  Canada  submit  to  be  so  priest-ridden  as  to 
allow  [tl  If  the  reserves  be  accepted  by  the  denominations 
mentioned  in  the  report  of  a  select  committee  of  the  house 
of  assembly,  then  the  political  slavery  of  this  Province  will 
be  secured  for  some  time  longer. 

4.  These  reserves  and  grants  will  make  those  ministers 
who  receive  them,  worldly  minded,  and  intent  on  pleasing 
their  political  patrons  instead  of  profiting  the  people;  for 
which  reason  I  hope  every  good  man  will  look  out  for  fresh 
quarters.  For  as  Mr.  Ryerson  observes  in  his  book,  page 
111,  "Every  man  must  be  originally  free  in  regard  to  reli- 
gion. It  is  his  own  eternal  interest  which  is  at  stake.  If 
he  go  wrong  he  is  the  sufferer,  if  right,  he  derives  all  the 
benefit."  In  concluding  my  remarks  on  this  part  of  the 
subject,  I  will  insert  a  few  lines  of  poetry  from  Mr.  Ryer- 
son's  book. 


* 'Inventions  added  in  a  fatal  hour, 

Human  appendages  of  pomp  and  power, 

Whatever  shines  in  outward  grandeur  great, 

I  give  it  up  a  creature  of  the  state. 

Wide  of  the  church,  as  hell  from  heaven  is  wide, 

The  blaze  of  riches  and  the  glare  of  pride, 

The  vain  desire  to  be  entitled  Lordj 

The  worldly  kingdom  and  the  princely  sword. 

But  should  the  bold  usurping  spirit  dare, 

Still  higher  climb  and  sit  in  Moses'  chair, 


70 


JOtTRN.^L. 


"'I 
^1 


m 


11 


IIHp' 


Power  o'er  my  faith  and  conscience  to  inuintain> 

Shall  1  Buhinit  and  sufFer  it  to  reign? 

Call  it  the  church,  and  darkness  put  for  lii^ht? 

Falsehood   with  truth  confound,  uud  wrong  witli  riglit? 

Nol  I  dispute  the  evil's  haughty  claim, 

The  spirit  of  the  world  be  still  its  name; 

Whatever  call'd  by  rwflw, 'tis  purely  evil, 

'  Tis  Bahdy  Antichrist,  and  Popcj  and  Devil. " 

One  of  tho  features  of  an  aristocraticul  governmcrif,  k^, 
the  worldly  spirit  it  infuses  into  religious  communities.  Sucli? 

is  the  religious  excitement  at  the  present  day,  that  it  be- 
comes the  duty  of  christians  to  enquire  what  have  been  the 
principal  causes  of  commotions  p  divisions  in  religious 
societies?  1  have  paid  considerable  attention  to  this  subject, 
for  some  years  pastj  and  have  come  to  this  conclusion, — 
that  the  chief  causes  of  disturbances  and  divisions  amongst 
religious  denominations,  have  generally,  if  not  always,  been, 
the  Power  and  Riches  oj  the  Clergy.  It  is  therefore  ne- 
cessary to  examine  how  far  the  Scriptures  authorize  min- 
isters of  the  gospel  to  claim  exclusive  potvcr  and  wealth; 
and  how  far  the  experience  of  christian  churches,  will,  after 
eighteen  hundred  years  trial,  allow  such  preachers  to  exer- 
cise arbitrary  sway,  as  lords  over  Christ's  vineyard? 
And  whether  it  would  not  be  more  scriptural  and  safe  to 
make  ministers  on  a  level  in  church  government,  with  other 
members  of  society;  and  also  to  support  them  in  such  a  way, 
that  the  ministry  will  not  be  sought  after  for  worldly  gain? 
or  whether  it  would  not  be  best  to  leave  them  to  support 
themselves,  except  when  they  are  employed  as  Missionaries 
and  in  other  particular  cases? 

It  has  been  said  that  **a  revival  of  religion  had  never 
been  continued  in  any  church  for  fifty  years  together,  pre- 
vious to  Methodism."  And  if  Methodists  link  themselves 
with  the  state;  their  spirituality  will  be  gone  also.    Now  it 


JOURNAL. 


77 


Iver 
)re- 
Ives 
it 


cannot  l»o  tlio  will  of  Goil  that  religion  sliould  revive  a  little 
while  ant]  die  awuy  into  cold  Ibrniality.  I'liuie  must  bo  u 
cause  ibr  religious  declensions  in  any  church.  Doctrines 
and  discipline  have  generally  been  settled  by  preachers;  and 
causes  of  prosj^erity  and  decay  have  uniformly  been  decided 
by  the  same  authority.  Hence  proaciiers,  who  have  gen- 
erally been  governors  could  never  discover  any  misman- 
agement in  themselves,  but  liave  always  laid  the  blame  up- 
on the  people. 

Nothing  is  more  common  among  men  than  an  ambitious 
thirst  for  power,  and  riches  are  thought  necessary  to  sup- 
port that  power. 

This  very  principle  turned  angels  into  devils,  and  the 
same  principle  lias  made  political  tyrants  in  abundance. — 
The  usurped  powers  of  religious  ministers  have  been  shown 
in  the  following  ways  : — 

1.  By  tlieir  titles  and  offices.  The  New  Testament  is 
silent  about  archbishops,  archdeacons,  deans,  &c,,  yet  these 
are  the  most  distinguished  officers  in  the  uiodern  christian 
established  churches.  " 

As  for  Lord  Bishops,  we  know  right  well,  they  have 
their  titles  and  powers  from  man  or  woman.  Let  us  hear 
what  Queen  Elizabeth  says  about  it  in  a  letter  to  one  of  the 
bishops. 

**  Proud  Prelate — I  understand  you  are  backward  in  com- 
plying with  our  agreement ;  but  I  would  have  you  know, 
that  I  who  made  you  what  you  are,  can  unmake  you  ;  and 
if  you  do  not  forthwith  fulfil  your  engagements,  by  God,  I 
will  immediately  unfrock  you. 
>>  "Yours,  as  you  demean  ycurself, 

*'  Elizabkth.'"' 

What  an  amiable  lady  this  Elizabeth  must  have  been  ! 
and  what  a  contemptible  creature  in  office  we  sec  in  a  Lord 


7* 


78 


JOURNAL. 


r'f 


I'' 


Hk- 


m 


Bishop  of  the  Church  of  England  !  Believing  that  tl»c* 
manufacturing  of  State  Bishops  is  justly  looiicd  upon  with 
contempt  and  disgust,  by  every  reflecting  mind,  I  will  make 
a  few  remarks  on  what  many  serious  christians  arc  puzzled 
with,  viz  :  the  propriety  of  bishops  at  all. 

All  who  have  paid  any  attention  to  the  mention  of  bishops 
in  the  New  Testament,  cannot  but  have  observed  tliat 
bishops  were  not  employed  to  watch  over  the  yreachers^  but 
over  the  j)Cople  ;  and  that  the  vain  notion  of  bishops  being 
superior  to  preachers  has  no  sanction  in  the  scriptures  : — 
that  the  ordaining  prerogative  supposed  to  belong  exclusively 
to  them,  is  a  fond,  proud  fiction. 

Mr.  Isaac,  in  his  "Claims,"  says — "  There  is  not  the 
slightest  evidence^  in  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament,  that 
the  Apostles  ordained  either  co-adjutors  or  successors  to 
themselves  in  the  apostolic  office  in  the  form  of  conse- 
crating bishops  ;  and  in  the  Church  of  England,  Acts  xiii. 
1 — 3.  is  referred  to,  and  is  therefore,  no  doubt,  the  best 
authority  the  bishops  can  produce  to  countenance  their 
practice.  Upon  this  transaction  let  it  be  noted  : — 1st.  It  is 
full  as  probable  that  Saul  and  Barnabas  were  set  apart  by 
the  whole  church,  as  by  the  prophets  and  teachers,  since  no 
individuals  are  particularized  as  sending  them  away.  2dly. 
There  are  only  five  officers  mentioned  in  the  account  ;  and 
as  two  of  them  were  set  apart  for  the  mission,  there  were 
only  three,  if  the  people  be  rejected,  to  perform  the  ordina- 
tion, namely,  Cyrene,  Lucius  and  Manaen.  But  all  the 
five  were  officers  of  the  same  rank  before  this  ordination 
took  place.  They  are  all  quickly  and  indiscriminately  cal- 
led prophets  and  teachers.  Now,  if  Saul  and  Barnabas 
were  put  into  another  and  superior  office  by  this  laying  on 
of  hands,  which  must  be  admitted,  or  the  ordination  was  of 
no  value,  and  so  not  worth  contending  about,  then  this  case 


'4'^' 


JOURNAL. 


9 


best 
their 

It  is 
|rt  by 

e  no 

dly. 
and 
ere 
ina- 

1  the 

tion 

cal- 

abas 

gon 

s  of 

case 


proves  that  equals  are  authorized  to  elect  and  ordain  their 
own  superiors — a  principle  this,  which  traces  the  origin  of 
church  power  to  the  people — tlie  people  may  make  teach- 
ers, teacliers  bishops,  Arc.  This  strips  tlieir  lordships,  the 
bishops,  of  nearly  the  whole  of  their  assumed  importance. — 
3dly.  At  this  famous  ordination,  no  spiritual  powers  are 
given,  either  to  preach  the  gospel,  or  to  govern  the  church,'' 
&c.  Agam  Mr.  Isaac  says — "  A  few  grains  of  common 
sense,  and  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  are  better  guides  in  these 
matters,  than  all  the  infallible  priests  the  church  has  ever 
produced,"  and  »*That  class  of  officers  in  the  VVcsleyan  so- 
cieties, denominated  leaders^  have  been  more  objected  to 
than  any  description  of  officers  in  any  other  community. — 
These  leaders  answer  to  the  presbyter,  bishops  of  the  pri- 
mitive christian,"  &;c. 

I  have  made  these  (juotations  from  a  respectable  source, 
in  consequence  of  the  Methodists'  having  got  it  into  their 
noddles  that  they  must  be  like  the  old  dame  established 
church.  If  Christianity  be  brought  to  its  original  simplicity, 
it  must  be  stripped  of  its  aristocratical  orders. 

2.  This  bishop-making  has  been  the  cause  of  another  evil, 
viz  :  special  qualifications  ;  that  is  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost 
irom  the  finger-ends  of  these  ordaining  bishops,  without 
which,  baptism  and  administering  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  supper  cannot  be  performed. 

3.  None,  except  those  who  have  had  the  holy  touch  on 
their  heads  can  have  a  voice  in  the  government  of  the 
church.  In  the  Wesleyan  conference,  common  sense, 
piety  and  long  experience  are  no  qualifications  for  church 
legislation,  "  being  set  apart  for  the  ministry,"  is  the  great 
qualification  required.  The  priesthood  alone  must  govern 
the  church.  '  '  ' 

4.  These  petty,  foolish,  and  unscriptural  notions  are  in 


\A 


iii. 


m  i^- 


&0 


JOURNAL. 


exact  accordance  with  hereditary  peerage.  There  are 
some  pretended  liberals  in  politics,  who  are  great  tories  in 
church  government ;  but  if  liberal  principles  cannot  be  car- 
ried through  civil  and  religious  government,  it  is  time  to 
give  them  up.  It  is  conceded  that  the  New  Testament  is  si- 
lent on  church  government,  and  how  the  priesthood  can  claim 
the  exclusive  power  of  governing,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know. 
The  fact  is,  that  the  people  have  a  right  to  appoint  their  own 
preachers,  and  to  govern  their  own  churches.  And  when- 
ever the  preachers  exclude  the  people  from  church  govern- 
mrnt,  it  is  manifest  that  they  act  from  seiiish  motives,  and 
ought  to  be  treated  as  the  enemies  of  natural,  scriptural  and 
inalienable  rights  of  man,  and  democracy  in  religion  is  es- 
sential to  its  v/elfare,  while  aristocracy  in  religion  is  its 
ruin. 

Upper  Canada  has  been  suffering  to  the  present  time  from 
the  high  price  of  land.  Tories  are  fond  of  money,  and 
they  will  get  the  last  copper  a  poor  man  has.  The  wisdom 
of  the  Unitod  States  in  selling  their  land  for  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  has  done  much  to  populate  that 
republic  ;  while  in  Canada  land  is  three  dollars  per  acre. — 
People  in  the  old  country  have  been  told  of  the  superior  ad- 
vantages enjoyed  in  Canada  compared  with  those  enjoyed 
in  the  States.  And  from  sucli  insinuations  thousands  have 
availed  themselves  of  British  institutions  and  British  bene- 
volence, but  have  found  out  to  their  sorrow  that  the  tender 
mercies  of  these  wicked  tories  are  cruel.  Instead  of  the 
resources  of  the  province  going  to  make  roads,  canals  and 
other  public  improvements,  the  wants  of  an  idle  aristocracy 
have  been  so  many  and  so  pressing,  that  like  a  horse-leech 
they  have  never  had  enough,  '^lence,  our  roads  have  been 
in  such  a  wretched  condition,  that  persons  had  to  wait  till 
they  were  made  good  by  fro«t  and  snow  before  they  could 


il: 


JOURNAL. 


81 


travel  from  liome.  Also,  the  expense  of  getting  goods  up 
to  the  stores,  through  want  of  good  roads  and  canals,  has 
been  attended  with  so  much  expense,  that  people  were  not 
able  to  purchase  goods  when  they  arrived.  Connpanies  have, 
at  diflerent  tinnes,  attempted  to  obtain  bills  to  construct  rail 
roads  and  canals,  but  their  patriotic  designs  have  as  often 
been  thwarted  by  the  govermijcnt.  Sinister  motives  have 
triumphed  over  public  good.  Therefore,  after  people  have 
been  pulling  against  wind  and  tide  for  years,  they  have  been 
obliged  to  give  up  the  helm  and  all,  to  the  boisterous  winds 
of  tory  misrule,  which  have  soon  wafted  them  to  the  shores 
of  a  free  and  happy  republic.  I  have  been  toiling  so  many 
years  against  these  vexatious  winds  that  my  strength  and 
patience  are  nearly  exhausted. 

The  Canada  Company  is  another  nuisance  v/hich  has 
been  a  pest  to  the  province  ever  since  it  was  established. 

1st.  In  taking  the  land  money  to  England.  What  u  piece 
of  consummate  tory  wisdom  to  rob  an  infant  colony  to  en- 
rich a  set  of  pampered  government  sychophants  !  If  this 
money  had  been  retained  in  the  province  to  improve  it,  then 
perhaps,  thousands  of  emigrants  would  have  settled  in  Cn- 
nada,  who  are  now  in  the  States. 

2d.  The  insulting  conduct  of  this  company's  officers  or 
agents,  has  been  so  abominable,  and  no  means  of  redress 
have  been  afforded,  that  settlers  have  been  obliged  to  leave 
and  take  shelter  amongst  better  people.  But  we  need  not 
wonder  at  this,  for  the  very  nature  of  toryism  is  insulting. 
Toryism  is  so  ill  bred,  so  proud,  so  haughty  and  so  mean, 
that  it  needs  oniy  to  be  seen  to  be  hated  ;  but  to  feel  its  do- 
minant influence  would  drive  a  sane  man  mad. 

This  Canada  company  have  been  incor|)oraied  as  the  tools 
of  a  corrupt  tyrannical  government.  And  I  should  think 
they  answer  Sir  Francis'  most  sanguine  expectations,  par- 


■!  ■  » 


82 


JOURNAL. 


» 


1^< 


I-  f 


k 


M 


ticularly  at  elections .     The  alien  laws,  also,  have  been  pas- 
sed to  aid  in  the  keeping  up  of  aristocratical  injustice. 

No  man  who  is  not  a  British  subject  can  have  any  inhe- 
ritance in  the  kingdom  of  tories.  The  alien  laws  were 
made  to  prevent  the  Yankees  from  intruding  on  the  privi- 
leges of  a  Canadian  oligarchy. 

The  following  notice  from  Mr.  Gowan,  the  great  Orange- 
man, on  the  22d  December,  1836,  shows  in  what  light  aliens 
are  held  at  the  present  time. 

"Mr.  Gowan  gives  notice,  that  he  will,  on  tht-  second  day 
of  January  next,  move  for  leave  to  introduce  a  bill  to  pre- 
vent aliens  from  filling  any  office  in  this  province,  whether 
in  the  gift  of  the  crown  or  the  people." 

I  transcribe  the  following  from  the  St.  Thomas  Liberal, 
on  Gowan's  alien  notice. 

"  When  we  consider  that  many  of  the  first  and  most  en- 
terprising settlers  in  this  province  were  aliens  ;  when  wo 
take  into  account,  that  it  is  their  skill,  industry  and  perseve- 
rance, in  the  midst  of  unspeakable  privations,  that  wc  are 
indebted  for  opening  roads,  subduing  the  intc  rminable  fo- 
rest and  making  the  wilderness  a  fit  habitation  for  man  | 
and  when  we  further  add,  that  some  of  our  best  merchants, 
tradesmen  and  mechanics  are  still  aliens,  we  will  be  asto- 
nished if  this  infamous  bill  be  entertained  bv  the  house. — 
That  Gowan  should  bring  it  forward,  is  not  at  all  to  be 
wondered  at;  it  is  nr^ural,  and  a  necessary  consequence  of 
his  Orange  predilections.  Who  is  so  ignorant  as  not  to  be 
aware  of  the  historical  fact,  that  until  lately,  the  principles 
which  now  actuate  Gowan  and  his  clan,  made  the  people  of 
Ireland  '  aliens  in  their  native  land  V  They  were  not  al- 
lowed to  hold  a  lease  of  land,  much  less  to  retain  a  fee  sim- 
ple estate.  They  were  prohibited  by  law  from  filling  any 
situation  either  in  the  gift  of  the  crown  or  the  "people.  They 


JOURNAL. 


83 


it  en- 
n  we 
seve- 
e  are 
0  fo- 
aii  ) 
ants, 
aslo- 
e. — 
o  be 
e  of 
ito  be 
iples 
He  of 
)t  al- 
Isim- 


any 
'hey 


were  not  permitted  to  keep  a  horse  worth  five  pounds.  For 
the  law  was,  if  one  of  them  happened  to  have  a  horse 
worth,  even  five  hundred,  and  one  of  the  ascendant  faction 
wanted  it,  the  owner  was  compelled  to  give  it  up  on  the  pay' 
7neiit  of  five  pounds///  They  were  proliibited  from  all 
the  blessings  of  ed  jcation  and  civilization,  and  to  crown  all, 
to  murder  one  of  them,  was  considered  an  affair  so  trifling 
that  it  was  atoned  for  by  the  paltry  fine  of  four  pounds  !  !  ! 
while,  if  one  of  these  aliens  murdered  one  of  Go  wans,  (that 
is  one  of  the  ascendant  party,)  he  was  hanged  like  a  dog." 

This  is  a  fair  sample  of  tory  ascendancy,  the  curses  of 
an  oristocratical  gang  of  tyrants.  And  we  see  what  we 
hive  to  expect  from  an  Orange  faction;  robbery,  bloodshed 
and  death,  are  trifles  with  Orange-men.  A  few  more  Gow- 
ans  in  the  house  of  assembly,  and  Sir  Francis  will  have  ob- 
tained ail  he  requires  to  carry  on  a  government  iiore  despo- 
tic than  that  of  Russia. 

The  want  of  education  is  felt  in  Upper  Canada,  as  much 
|l  niiy  other  thing.  Mr.  Norton's  bill  vvhich  he  late- 
ly brought  into  the  house  of  assembly,  to  appropriate  the 
clergy  reserves  to  education,  was  lost.  And  if  it  had  pass- 
ed the  assembly,  it  would  never  have  passed  the  legislative 
council.  The  liberal  members  deserve  our  thanks  for 
their  exertions,  prompted  as  they  were  by  the  very  best  and 
most  enlightened  principles.  But  so  long  as  this  province 
is  governed  as  it  is  at  present,  education  will  not  be  en- 
couraged; for  to  educate  the  people,  is  to  set  them  free. 
Tories  guard  as  strictly  against  the  people's  being  educated 
as  they  do  against  radicalism;  for  liberal  principles  and  edu- 
cation are  one.  *' Gentlemen's  children  must  be  scholars, 
hence  a  king's  college  is  supp '"ted  for  them,  but  tradesmen 
and  mechanics'  children  have  no  right  to  be  learned!"  So 
think  all  tories,  and  so  they  act.     Let  the  children  of  this 


M 


JOURNAL. 


ll. 


I  '.<■ 


Province  be  taught  the  English  language  correctly,  geogra- 
phy  and    iiistory,    the    njuthematics   and    tlie   most   useful 
branches   ot' philosophy,  and  they    will  of  themselves  learn 
political  economy,  by  which  they  will  be  qualified  to  fill  im- 
portant places  in  the  state.     Then  there  would  be  no  need 
of  those  fours  which  every  father  must  feel,  when  he  expects 
soon   to  leave  the   world,    that  his  children   will  bo   kept  in 
political  slavery.     Also  if  our  children  were  well  educated, 
they  would  not  he  exi)Osed  to  the  machinations  of  a  corrupt 
priestlwod,  but  would  themselves   be  able  to  occupy   useful 
posts  in  the  church,  when  they  embraced  real  religion:  and 
profit  more  when  they  heard  the  gospel  preached.     Educa- 
tion affects  both   the  present  and   future  generations.     It  is 
for  us  to  say,  whether  our  posterity  shall  be  free  and  happy, 
or  poor,  ignorant  and  miserable  wretches.     And  the   man 
that  does  any  thing  to  prevent  education,   is  a  nusiance,  a 
pest,  and  a  degrader  of  humanity,  and  deserves  to  be  treat- 
ed ten  fold  worse  than  a  public  robber. 

Barbarity  and  ignorance  are  co-partners,  hence  the  wars 
carried  on  between  uncivilized  nations,  are  more  cruel  and 
destructive  of  human  life,  than  wars  between  enlightened 
nations.  Had  a  New  Zealander  witnessed  our  late  election 
he  would  have  concluded  that  our  Orange  clubmen  were 
greatly  behind  himself  in  point  of  civilization.  To  beat  a 
man's  brains  out  for  thinking  dilTerently  on  politics,  is  what 
no  New  Zealander  would  do,  or  any  other  human  being, 
except  an  Orangeman,  of  the  only  true  and  apostolic,  holy 
established  church  of  England. 

How  exactly  the  church  and  state  agree  in  preventing  the 
people  from  becoming  learned,  and  in  keeping  them  in  sub- 
jugation! But  let  us  cheer  up,  for  the  night  of  tory  darkness 
is  nearly  over  and  the  day  of  liberal  light  is  at  hand.  Al- 
ready do  we  see  the  political   sun  peep  abovo  tlie  horizon 


JOUHNAL. 


Sb 


jc,  a 


^ars 

and 

ened 

;tion 

eve 

at  a 

vhat 

iing, 

loly 

the 
Isub- 
liicss 

Al- 
ii zou 


of  lUslinctions,  and  his  progress  towards  the  meridian  of 
free  and  political  mid-day  will  be  rapid.  For  no  sooner 
will  tills  sun  have  readied  the  zenith  of  his  glory  than  the 
People  will  say,  "Sun  stand  thou  still"  !  !  and  decline 
not  !  !  !  The  liberation  of  Canadians,  from  the  fangs  of  an 
usurping  oligarcliy,  is  as  certain  as  the  emersion  of  a  star, 
hidden  by  an  occulation  with  the  moon,  or  there-appearance 
of  day  to  the  polar  regions  after  a  long  winter's  night. 
Torpid  as  have  been  the  energies  of  tiie  people  of  Canada 
through  a  long  night  of  a  cold  political  winter: — the  spring 
is  already  seen  by  the  vegetation  of  the  human  mind^  break- 
ing the  bud,  and  giving  us  an  earnest  of  abundance  of  fruit. 
We  shall  soon  have  the  fruit  of  a  well  directed  education, 
the  fruit  of  an  industrious,  patriotic,  and  liberal  community. 
And  instead  of  being  half  starved  in  leaking  log-houses, 
miles  distant  from  each  other  in  the  small  openings  of  a 
vast  foi\;st,  we  shall  have  comfortable  dwellings  in  the 
midst    of  a  wealthy,  happy  and  thick  population. 

The  sovreign  majesty  of  the  people  will  accomplish  this, 
through  a  kind  providence.  We  have  no  good  thing  to  expect 
from  the  tories,  unless  it  be  thought  good  to  be  oppres- 
sed, trodden  under  foot,  maltreated,  enslaved,  and  priest- 
ridden. 

Let  us  keep  wide  awake,  and  not  sulTer  the  progress  of 
lil  ral  principles  to  be  retarded  by  the  policy  of  Sir  Fran- 
cis Head  and  his  hirelings;  but  look  to  our  interests,  the 
interests  of  our  children  and  the  prosperity  of  Canada.  The 
present  period  is  fraught  with  events  of  vast  importance 
both  to  Upper  and  Lower  Canada.  Things  have  lately  ta- 
ken place  in  Lower  Canada  which  were  not  dreamed  of  by 
the  tories  in  their  fast  slumbers.  But  the  approach  of  a 
tremendous  thunder  storm  is  beginning  to  create  fears  which 
were  not  anticipated.     The  elective   fluid  has  been  created 

8 


86 


JOURNAL, 


m 


n  I, 


^1, 


by  a  regular  chemical  colonial  policy;  and  its  discharge 
will  astound,  if  not  destroy  those  who  caused  it.  And  our 
Upper  Canada  tory  legislature  are  quite  disposed  to  bring 
about  their  ears  the  same  apparent  ruin.  The  property, 
happiness,  liberty  and  lives  of //te  people  arc  nothing  to  the 
self  interest  of  these  mock  Constitutionalists: — even  the  re- 
ligion of  the  Savior  must  be  marred^  prostituted^  and  des- 
troyed to  accomplish  the  hereditary  interests  of  unprincipled 
men.  But  as  the  day  of  Canadian  reckoning  is  at  hand, 
the  perpretrators  of  these  political  evils  will  be  brought  to 
justice;  and  then  shall  the  sun  of  prosperity  shine  with  in- 
creasing lustre  on  this  country  so  richly  endowed  by  nature. 
When  this  reckoning  comes  we  shall  get  rid  of  a  set  of  ig- 
norant, selfish,  tory  magistrates  and  commissioners  of  the ' 
courts  of  requests  by  which  justice  is  perverted,  and  people 
prevented  from  seeking  their  rights.  We  shall  also  get  rid 
of  another  evil,  viz.  Sheriffs  and  Deputy  Sheriffs  chosen  as 
they  are,  for  base  political  purposes,  by  which  juries  arc 
corrupted,  or  chosen  partially  or  for  particular  ends: — and 
another  and  a  great  evil  we  shall  git  rid  of,  I  mean-Orange- 
mob  elections. 


POLITICAL  TERMS  EXPLAINED. 


Aristocracy.  Walker  says  Aristocracy  means  "That 
form  of  government  wWch  places  the  supreme  power  in  the 
Nobles.  That  is,  a  jew  shall  govern  the  many.  And  these 
FEW  claim  it  as  their  hereditary  privilege.  I  suppose  these 
Nobles  have  been   regularly  descended  from  the  Dukes   of 


JOURNAL. 


87 


'hat 

the 

these 

Ihese 

of 


Esau,  and  llic  uninterrupted  succession  has  never  been  bro- 
ken. What  fornn  of  ordination  they  have  I  know  not.  But 
forsooth  they  are  of  noblo  blood,  for  they  are  Nobles.  Now 
suppose  Drs.  Gary  and  Morrison,  tlic  one  brought  up  a 
shoemaker  and  ihe  other  a  carpenter,  were  placed  in  con- 
trast with  some  of  these  Nobles,  how  gloriously  would  these 
mechanics  out  shine  the  Nobles! — Aristocracy  indeed!  if  we 
have  not  had  enough  of  such  an  ocracy  it  is  fitting  we 
•should.  I  feel  much  pleased  that  the  British  and  Irish  peo- 
ple are  about  to  bring  these  aristocraticnl  gentlemen  to  a 
level  with  tradesmen  and  farmers.  Nothing  ellectually  can 
be  done  for  the  good  of  the  people  till  this  disgusting 
term  be  blotted  from  the  statute  books.  In  conclusion,  I 
cannot  give  better  definition  than  by  adopting  the  words  of 
General  Foy,  a  distinguished  orator  in  the  French  Cham- 
bers, who  gave  the  following  striking  definition.  *'I  can 
tell  what  it  is,''  said  he;  "Aristocracy  in  the  19th  century 
is  the  league,  the  coalition  of  those  ^  ho  would  consume 
without  producing,  live  without  working,  know  every 
thing  without  learning  any  thing,  carry  away  all  the  honors 
without  having  deserved  them,  and  occupy  all  the  places  of 
government  without  being  capable  to  fill  them." 

Tory.  Walker  says,  Tory  is  a  cant  term  from  an  Irish 
word  signifying  a  Sava(;e.  the  name  of  a  party  opposed 
to  that  of  a  Whig.  Johnson  says,  Tory  is  one  who  adheres 
to  the  ancient  constitution  of  the  state.  Now  as  a  savage 
is  generally  shunned  so  ought  a  Tory  to  be  shunned;  and  as 
the  ancient  constitution  was  a  very  bad  one,  it  shows  Tories 
to  be  very  bad  men  in  striving  to  keep  it  up.  All  who  arc 
at  all  acquainted  with  the  history  of  England,  know  what 
partiality,  distinctions,  civil  wars  about  kings,  general  pro- 
fligacy, changing  religions,  priestcraft  and  ignorance  used 
to  prevail  in  the  ancient  times;  and  if  Tories  want  all  this  to 


BS 


JOURNAL. 


II' 


^.'i. 


m. 


|e  IT, 


come  over  again,  they  ought  to  be  dealt  with  it)  a  summary 
way.  If  this  be  a  tory  he  is  an  enemy  to  God  and  man. — 
No  wonder  that  the  priesthood  want  old  days  to  come  over 
again;  tor  then  they  would  wade  in  wealth  and  roll  in 
luxury. 

Loyalty.  Walker  says,  Loyalty  is  '<Firm  and  faithful 
adherence  to  a  prince." — So  long  as  a  prince  reigns  by  the 
consent  of  the  people,  they  have  a  right  to  adhere  to  him 
in  every  thing  the  constitution  enjoins — while  a  people  keep 
the  laws,  a  good  prince  will  be  satisfied;  but  if  a  prince 
wants  to  govern  a  people  with  a  rod  of  iron,  to  rob  and  en- 
slave them,  then  free  loyalty  will  consist  in  keeping  those 
laws  they  themselves  have  consented  to.  However,  loyalty  in 
Upper  Canada,  as  explained  by  the  tories,  means  entire  57fJ- 
mission  to  a  petty  set  of  tyrants  in  the  governor's  employ- 
ment; a  loyalty,  of  which  I  hope  1  shall  never  be    guilty. 

Liberal.  Walker  says  of  the  word  Liberal,  "Not  mean, 
not  low  in  birth;  becoming  a  gentleman,  munificent,  gene- 
rous, bountiful." — How  many  poor  men  there  are  who  act 
politely  or  gentlemanly,  who  are  generous  and  bountiful, 
and  show  that  they  are  well  bred,  or  well  educated  in  the 
art  of  good  behavior.  Liberal  men  want  a  liberal  govern- 
ment, they  wish  to  be  placed  on  an  equal  footing  with  all, 
but  not  above  any.  Liberals  conceive  that  all  men  are  en- 
titled to  equal  rights  and  privileges,  and  for  one  man  to  set 
himself  above  another,  is  childish  folly,  it  is  vain,  unjust 
and  wicked.  What  Liberals  are  striving  to  accomplish,  is 
to  give  every  man  that  which  is  just  and  equal — to  throw 
open  the  doors  of  education,  civil  offices,  and  religion  to 
all.  The  principles  of  liberality,  have  been  banished  from 
civil  and  religious  governments,  by  aristocratical  pride  and 
selfishness;  and  the  mighty  contest  in  which  the  Liberals 
are  engaged,  is  to  restore  justice  order  and  harmony.     But 


JOURNAL. 


89 


IS 

Irow 

to 

I  rem 

land 

frals 

But 


such  is  the  perversion  of  truth  and  riglitcousncss,  by  lory 
ascendancy,  tliat  we  arc  tol'J,  that  Liberals  are  striving 
to  create  disorder,  and  injustice.  But  as  God  is  no  respecter 
ofpersons,  but  loving  to  every  man,  and  has  made  of  one 
blood  all  the  nations  of  the  earth: — Liberal  men  think  they 
are  doing  right  while  laboring  to  destroy  petty  distinctions, 
partiality,  injustice  and  hereditary  peerage.  Superiority 
and  inferiority^  between  man  and  man,  have  no  place  in 
the  creed  of  Liberals. 

Radical.  Walker  says  Radical  means,  ''Primitive,  ori- 
ginal." Johnson  says,  "Primitive,  implanted  by  nature." 
Radicals,  then  want  things  to  be  brought  to  their  primitive 
or  original  state: — or  that  which  is  implanted  by  nature. 
Now  it  is  in  the  nature  of  every  man  to  be  a  man,  and  not 
to  be  degraded  to  a  brute.  Radicals  have  no  need  to  be 
ashamed  of  their  name,  as  it  imports  nothing  bad,  but  that 
which  is  consistent  with  human  nature,  consistent  with  the 
freedom  and  happiness  of  any  nation.  'IMie  word  Radical 
is  heard  with  trembling,  by  every  Orangeman,  every  Tory, 
every  fat-fed  tax  eater.  And  why  is  a  Radical  so  terrible  an 
enemy  to  a  Tory?  Because  a  Radical  is  exerting  himself  to 
bring  political  matters  to  their  primitive,  original  state;  to 
elevate  man  from  his  degraded  situation  to  that  lofty  slate 
which  he  was  destined  to  lUl.  A  Radical  Reformer  is  the  best 
friend  of  human  nature.  If  the  pensions,  the  sinecures, 
and  the  fat  offices  of  the  Tories  were  taken  from  them,  they 
would  be  Radicals  themselves.  When  Lord  Gosford  came 
to  Lower  Canada,  and  manifested  a  desire  to  do  right,  the 
Tories  took  up  their  rifles  against  the  king  and  the  people. 
Fine  Constitutionalists  indeed!  But  Radicals  are  not  for  the 
sword,  but  for  reason  and  peace. 

Democracy,  is  that  form  of  government,  in  which   the 
sovreign  power  is  lodged  in  the  people.     Let  us  suppose  any 


.^i 


1  ;,i 


m 


1:1  ; 

t;., 


90 


.rOUUNAL. 


number  of  persons,  in  similar  circumstances,  emigrating  lo 
an  unliabited  country*  and  after  arriving  there  all  mutually 
agree  to  be  subject  to  certain  rules  or  laws,  for  their  gene- 
ral welfare.  They  would  cliooso  proper  persons  to  adminis- 
ter justice,  one  of  which  would  be  the  chief  magistrate.  Hut 
surely  this  chief  magistrate  would  not  bo  allowed  to  govern 
them  as  he  pleased,  to  roll  in  ill-gotten  wealth,  and  make 
the  people  slaves  to  his  passions.  The  people  would  not  all 
at  once  prostrate  themselves  before  this  magistrates  and  kiss 
his  hands,  and  a  thousand  other  ridiculous  and  degrading 
things.  This  must  be  a  work  of  time,  corruption  must  have 
time  and  means.  The  fact  is,  these  peo[)le  would  keep  the 
reins  of  government  in  their  hands,  until  corruption  and 
intrigue  wrested  them  out.  Democracy  is  undoubtedly  the 
only  form  of  government,  consistent  with  common  sense, 
in  accordance  with  every  feeling  of  an  honest  heart,  and 
the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  any  country.  Let  educa- 
tion be  encouraged,  and  a  strict  guard  placed  against  cor- 
ruption; and  then  democracy  will  be  as  lasting  as  tl, 
world. 

There  is  one  subject  which  1  have  omitted  in  my  descrip- 
tion of  the  United  States,  viz:  Slavery — I  mean  Negro  sla- 
Ycry.  I  did  not  omit  it  because  I  connived  at  it,  but  because 
1  wished  to  place  it  by  itself.  The  trafficking  in  human 
flesh  and  blood,  is  a  trafficking  at  which  my  heart  revolts  ; 
and  that  any  part  of  the  United  States  should  continue  Ne- 
gro slavery,  is  to  be  deeply  deplored.  Slavery  is  a  blot  on 
humanity,  cruel,  unjust,  wicked,  degrading,  dangerous  to 
any  country,  the  fruit  of  an  aristocracy,  and  the  offspring 
of  hell  ;  and  that  this  foul  evil  was  brought  upon  America, 
and  the  West  Indies  by  an  English  aristocracy.  I  have,  in 
another  part  of  this  work,  shown  that  slavery,  or  the  steal- 
ing of  human  beings,  was  commenced  under  the  sanction  of 


"% 


JOURNAL 


91 


luso 

lan 

Its  ; 
[e- 
ou 

Is  to 

•ica 
in 
>al- 
hof 


the  English  nobles^  tlic  bishops,  lords,  and  principals  of  llio 
aristocratical  party.  This  shivo  trade  was  carried  on  at  the 
time  of  the  American  revolution,  and  when  the  independence 
of  those  states  was  settled,  tlie  Ameii(rans  were  left  in  pos- 
session of  a  great  number  of  Negro  slaves,  made  so  l)y  an 
English  heieditary  government. 

These  slaves  being  considered  as  chattels,  were  a  valua- 
ble property,  and  enabled  the  Americans  to  carry  on  an  ex- 
tensive trade.  And  nothing  but  a  clear  conviction  of  the 
evils  and  danger  of  slavery  could  induce  slave  holders  to 
let  go  such  a  property.  However,  1  am  fully  persuaded 
that  the  time  is  now  come  when  slaverv  must  be  abolished 
in  all  its  features.  Many  of  the  States  have  got  rid  of  this 
font  blot,  and  the  other  States,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  very 
soon  do  the  same. 

Having  made  the  above  remarks  on  the  cvib;  arising  out 
of  hereditary  svstf  ms,  &:c.,  I  will  now  observe,  that  these 
evils  are  guarded  nsrainst  in  a  democrtilical  government. — 
As  a  proof  of  this  a;  '^rtion,  i  refer  to  the  United  States,  in 
whit  h  none  of  the  evils  are  to  be  found,  except  Negro  sla 
very,  which  was  entailed  un  them  by  the  English  aristo- 
cracy, and  which  evil,  I  believe,  will  speedily  be  removed. 

One  of  the  chief  'oasons  why  the  United  States  are  not 
corrupted  in  their  government,  is,  thoir  being  without  a  na- 
tional or  state  establish' d  cliurch.  The  principle  of  free 
contributions  is  practii^ed  in  the  republic  with  the  happiest 
effects.  Til  ministers  of  religion,  there,  have  no  advan- 
tages to  deri'. .'  from  the  fric.idship  of  the  government,  and 
therefore,  lio  tueans  are  employed  to  secure  that  friendship: 
they  remain  independent  of  statesmen,  yet  they  are  the  ser- 
vants of  all.  If  there  be  any  thing  to  complain  of  in  the 
United  States,  as  regards  religion,  the  cause  is  from  a  fo- 
reign country.     A  general  impression  prevails  in  Canada, 


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JOURNAL, 


that  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  not  so  liberal  as  it 
formerly  was  ;  and  the  cause  is  attributed  to  the  influence 
of  the  English  Weslcyan  Methodist  Conferenne.  The  last 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
laid  further  restrictions  on  the  local  preachers.  -     . 

I,  myself,  protest  against  Episcopal  ordination,  yet  if  it  be 
considered  by  that  church  to  be  essential,  or  very  useful  to 
the  preachers,  and  that  the  local  preachers  were  formerly 
favored  with  thai  blessing  to  render  them  more  useful,  and 
it  was  not  considered  unscriptural  to  ordain  local  preachers, 
surely  it  cannot  be  very  wicked  to  ordain  them  now.  Oh  ' 
but  it  is  said,  the  conference  can  do  without  the  local 
preachers  being  ordained  now,  as  they  have  such  abundance 
of  itinerant  preachers.  There  is  no  doubt  of  one  thing, 
that  the  English  Conference  are  instilling  their  high  church 
principles  into  the  American  Episcopal  Methodists  :  and  so 
sure  as  the  high  church  notions  are  imbibed  and  acted  o», 
so  sure  Will  that  church  retrograde.  ,,      ,., 

However,  I  am  happy  to  bear  my  testimony  to  the  zeal  and 
piety  of  the  religious  ministers  in  those  parts  of  the  States 
where  I  travelled.  As  a  government  church  is  a  government 
curse,  I  was  happy  to  find  a  country  without  such  a  curse. 
The  contrast  between  Canada  and  the  States,  is  deeply  de- 
grading to  the  former,  and  highly  honorable  to  the  latter. 

As  there  have  been  different  modes  of  worshipping  God 
in  every  age  of  the  world,  and  as  christians  are  not  agreed 
either  in  faith  or  practice,  it  is  presumption  in  any  civil  go- 
vernment to  say  which  mode  is  the  best.  All  that  religious 
denominations  need  from  the  civil  power,  is,  protection  as 
citizens.  This  protection  is  afforded  in  the  United  States. 
But  wherever  a  dominant  church  is  supported  by  the  state, 
the  other  denominations  will  not  be  properly  protected. 

I  have  already  observed  that  the  choosing  of  juries  in  Up-- 


JOURNAL. 


9di 


m 


)d 
id 


per  Canada  is  a  bad  mode,  as  the  sheriff*  can  be  influenced 
to  choose  a  jury  to  answer  any  purpose.  In  the  States  it  is 
very  different.  While  travelling  in  Ohio,  I  learned  that 
their  juries  were  chosen  at  their  yearly  nieetings;  about  two 
for  each  township  are  required,  and  the  people  choose  two 
of  the  most  discreet  men  they  have.  Then  the  names  of  all 
these  jurors  are  put  on  tickets  into  a  box,  and  before  the 
time  these  jurors  are  required  to  serve,  this  box  is  shaken 
in  the  presence  of  the  officers  and  the  people,  and  the  first 
fifteen  names  taken  out  are  the  grand  jurors,  and  thirty-six 
more  are  drawn  in  the  same  way  for  the  petty  jury.  By 
this  method  there  is  no  possibility  for  corruption.  Were 
the  same  plan  practiced  in  Canada,  we  should  not  have  the 
causes  of  just  complaint  we  have  at  present.  The  people  of 
Ohio  in  having  the  choice  of  their  law-makers  have  good 
laws.  So  effectually  are  all  the  rights  of  Americans  guarded, 
that  however  disposed  an  individual  may  be  to  practice 
fraud,  he  has  no  secret  corner  in  which  he  can  benefit  him- 
self by  injuring  others.  In  the  United  States  every  thing  is 
done  in  open  day  light.  As  trial  by  jury  is  considered 
the  great  bulwark  of  British  liberty,  the  juries  ought  to  be 
chosen  free  from  suspicion.  In  England,  the  sheriff's  are 
not  so  likely  to  be  corrupted  as  they  are  in  the  colonies  ; 
yet  the  method  of  choosing  juries  in  the  United  States  is  in- 
finitely better  than  that  of  Great  Britain  ;  and  until  Canada 
shall  have  a  better  system  of  choosing  public  officers  and 
jurors,  the  people  can  never  be  secure  from  injustice.      ' 

The  great  interest  taken  in  the  education  of  the  youth  of 
the  United  States,  forms  a  prominent  feature  in  the  wise  and 
disinterested  government  of  that  republic.  Not  only  are  all 
children  principally  educated  at  the  public  expense,  but 
working  colleges  are  endowed  and  supported  in  such  away, 
that  a  young  man  without  learning,  can  enter  one  of  these 


t 


94 


JOURNAL. 


colleges,  and  by  working  three  hours  a  day  on  the 
college  farm,  can  support  himself  and  obtain  a  liberal  edu- 
cation. One  young  man,  with  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
travelling,  explained  to  me  the  nature  and  benefits  of  these 
colleges,  and  told  me  he  had  received  all  his  education  in 
one  of  them,  and  from  what  I  could  perceive  in  him,  his  at- 
tainments were  considerable. 

If  a  young  man  have  a  thirst  for  the  streams  of  science 
and  is  anxious  to  drink  at  the  fountain  of  knowledge,  but  is 
so  straitened  in  his  circumstances  that  he  has  no  hopes  of 
assistance,  let  him  turn  his  eyes  to  the  god-like  institutions 
in  the  United  States,  which  have  been  established  by  a  phi- 
lanthropic people.  There  he  will  be  welcomed — there  he 
will  be  assisted — there  he  will  be  blessed.  These  institu- 
tions of  learning  are  above  all  praise,  and  will,  more  than 
any  other  thing,  make  the  United  States  the  greatest,  and 
the  happiest  country  in  the  world. 

However  a  young  man  may  pant  after  learning  in  Canada, 
he  will  pant  in  vain,  except  what  he  may  obtain  by  his  own 
unassisted  efforts.  The  colleges  in  Canada,  are  set  opart 
for  persons  with  long,  full  purses,  or  favorite  tories.  And 
the  Wesleyan  Methodist  chartered  Academy  is  not  likely  to 
be  within  the  reach  of  nineteen-twentieths  of  the  Methodist 
people.  Tory  or  not  tory.  Lord  Glenelg  will  not  consent  to 
endow  it.  However,  it  may  turn  out  some  A.  M.,  L.  L.  D, 
and  D.D.  which  will  add  greatly  to  the  pomposity  of  the  church. 
Mr.  Ryerson's  extensive  labors  with  Downing-street  officers, 
will  add  but  little  to  the  welfare  of  Upper  Canada.  Metho- 
dist preachers  are  equally  as  useful  with  the  simple  Mr.  as 
with  Rev.  or  L.  L.  D.  or  D.  D. 

If  the  Methodist  people  would  exert  themselves  to  support 
good  schools  for  their  own  children  in  their  own  iieighbor' 
hoods,  instead  of  supporting  an  academy  or  college,  from 


JOURNAL. 


95 


)rt 


which  they  cannot  possibly  derive  any  benefit,  it  would  show 
tliey  loved  their  own  children.  But  to  support  a  chartered 
academy  for  the  good  of  the  rich,  and  neglect  their  own 
families,  shows  a  want  of  prudence. 

**  If  any  provide  not  for  his  own,  and  specially  for  those 
of  his  own  house,  he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than 
an  infidel."—!  Tim.  5.8. 

If  the  Coburg  Academy  were  like  the  working  colleges  in 
the  United  States,  then  indeed  it  would  be  a  blessing  to  the 
province. 

The  pre-eminent  educational  institutions  of  the  United 
States  are  sufficient  to  induce  emigrants  to  reject  Canada  as 
their  future  home,  and  settle  where  learning  is  equally  af- 
forded to  the  poor  as  well  as  to  the  rich. 

Instead  of  the  clergy  reserves  being  given  to  support  edu- 
cation, we  hear  they  are  to  be  given  to   establish  six 
CHURCHES  to  torify  the  whole  province  ;  so  that  in  time  to 
come,  no  Liberal  shall  dare  to  approach  the  hustings  at  elec- 
tions.    This  will  be  a  glorious  triumph  for  the  tories.     Re- 
formers of  Canada,  will  any  of  you  be  members  of  such  go- 
vernment corrupted  churches  I     Will  you  sanction  such  a 
prostitution  of  Christianity  ?     But  I  need  not  ask;  you  will 
not !  Not  a  single  honest  Liberal  will  smother  his  conscience 
and  belie  his  profession,  and  thus  put  thieves  and  robbers 
into  the  temple  of  Christ.     No  man  who  values  his  charac- 
ter, his  country  and  his  God,  will  ever  become  a  Judas  and 
sell  his  Savior  for  pieces  of  silver  or  clergy  reserve  lands. 
Were  it  necessary  to  enter  into  the  argument  of  established 
church  being  right  or  wrong,  I  would  engage  it  with  confi- 
dence of  success  ;  but  the  subject  has  been  settled  years  ago. 
That  state  established  churches  are  unscriptural  and  un* 
holy,  was  sufficiently  proved  in  the  Christian  Guardian, 
and  in  Mr.  Ryerson's  "  Claims,"  years  since. 


06 


JOURNAL. 


Any  man  that  believes  established  churches  to  be  wrong, 
and  continues  a  member  of  such  church,  is,  in  fact,  a  prac- 
tical idolator,  '*  and  no  idolator  shall  have  any  inheritance 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  and  of  God." 

Every  enlightened  man,  whose  eyes  are  not  blinded  by 
money  or  prejudice,  knows  state  churches  to  be  wrong;  and 
therefore,  iC  the  church  of  which  he  is  at  present  a  member 
should  receive  clergy  reserves,  or  state  support,  he  will  at 
once  leave  that  church. 

If  all  the  six  churches  to  whom  the  reserves  are  to  be 
given,  receive  them,  Sir  F.  B.  Head  will  be  the  represen- 
tative head  of  six  churches  at  one  time — a  greater  office 
than  any  man  ever  filled  before  in  the  world. 

Sir  Francis  will  have  a  universal  faith;  that  a  creed  is 
both  right  and  wrong  ;  that  the  church  of  England  is  the 
holy  apostolic  church,  and  yet  a  heretic;  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  is  the  only  true  and  infallible  church,  and 
yet  the  scarlet  whore  and  antichrist;  that  the  church  of  Scot- 
land is  right  in  her  Calvinism,  and  the  Methodists  are  right 
in  their  Armenianism,  Sir  Francis  will  say  with  the 
Cameleon.     ,,; 

"My  Children,  *,^ 

.  .:  "You  all  are  right,  and  all  are  wrong." 

All  this  is  very  easy  for  a  true  bred  church  of  England 
man,  whose  creed  was  well  described  by  Pitt,  the  eloquent 
Earl  of  Chatham,  in  a  speech  delivered  in  the  House  of 
Lords,  1772,  in  the  defence  of  Dissenters,  against  the  Bis- 
hops, particularly  against  Dr.  Drummond,  Archbishop  of 
York.  The  eloquent  Earl  said,  "Whoever  brought  such  a 
charge  against  Dissenters  without  proof,  defamed."  After 
a  pause,  he  felt  the  workings  of  a  generous  and  indignant 
enthusiasm,  and  thus  proceeded: — "The  Dissenting  minis- 
ters are  represented  as  men  of  close  ambilion — they  are  so, 


JOURNAL. 


97 


md 
ent 
iof 
is- 

|P  ^^ 
jh  a 

liter 

lant 

Inis- 

so, 


my  Lords;  and  thcij  ambition  is  to  keep  close  to  the  College 
of  fishermen,  not  of  cardinals;  and  to  the  doctrine  of  inspi- 
red Apostles,  not  to  the  decrees  of  interested  Bishops.  They 
contend  for  a  spiritual  creed  and  spiritual  worship.  We 
(Church  of  England)  have  a  Calvinistic  creed,  a  Popish 
liturgy,  end  an  ARiMEiMAN  clergy.  The  Reformation  has 
laid  open  the  scriptures  to  all;  let  not  the  Bishops  sl\ut  them 
again.  Laws  in  support  of  ecclesiastical  power,  are  plead- 
ed, which  it  would  shock  humanity  to  execute.  It  is  said, 
that  religious  sects  have  done  great  mischief,  when  they  are 
not  kept  under  restraint;  but  history  affords  no  proof  that 
sects  have  ever  been  mischievous,  but  when  they  were  op- 
pressed by  the  ruling  church.  What  are  the  Dissenters  in 
Canada  to  do  if  they  are  to  be  oppressed  by  many  ruling 
churches.  Six  Cuhrches  and  one  tory  state  will  be  seven 
plagues  poured  out  upon  them. 

This  hypocritical  love  to  all  these  churches,  is  a  manifest 
plot  against  the  liberties  of  the  people.  If  the  six  churches 
accept  of  the  reserves,  every  man  that  loves  his  children 
and  liberty,  will  have  to  leave  the  Province.  But  the  State 
parsons  care  very  little  about  the  largeness  or  smallness  of 
their  congregations,  so  long  as  their  Slate  loaf  is  large. 

Some  people  are  wondering  why  members  of  the  differ- 
ent churches  do  not  petition  the  parliament  against  the  re- 
serves oeing  given  to  sflpport  or  enrich  the  priesthood.  I 
think  I  can  tell  them  the  reason; — every  reflecting  christian 
member  has  made  up  his  mind,  that  if  his  minister  be  so 
base  and  unfaithful  as  to  desert  his  charge  for  the  love  of 
filthy  lucre,  he  is  not  worth  petitioning  about.  -    ' 

It  has  become  a  fashionable  employment  for  the  priest- 

'  hood  in  Canada  to  preach  in  favor  of  government  grants 

and  reserves: — but    Mr.  Isaac  says  in  his'  "  Ecclesiastical 

Claims,"  *'No  person  is  silly   enough  to  believe  that  the 

9 


98 


JOURNAL. 


pi 


blustering  of  a  wicked  priest,  in  favor  of  an  establishment, 
blows  from  a  conviction  of  its  apostolic  constitution,  and  an 
anxious  concern  for  the  interest:^  of  religion.  It  is  a  mat- 
ter of  no  consecjuence  to  him,  whether  the  national  creed  be 
true  or  false,  good  or  bad.  It  is  enough  for  him,  that  he 
gets  some  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  a  year  by  it.  Deme- 
trius and  his  friends  roared  out  most  lustily,  "Great  is  Diana 
of  the  Ephesians!^'  But  he  explained  to  fliem  the  principle 
which  inspired  this  holy  transport.  *'By  this  we  have  our 
gains!  our  craft  is  in  danger.'' '  The  priesthood  have  had 
their  wealth,  by  sometimes  serving  one  sort  of  God  and 
sometimes  another.  The  present  cry  in  Upper  Canada,  is, 
"Great  is  Sir  Francis  Bond  Head  of  Kent  !  !  !"  Now  if 
these  gentlemen  be  asked,  why  they  cry  out  so  lustily,  they 
will  answer,  by  this  means  we  expect  to  have  great  riches, 
in  Government  Grants  and  Clergy   Reserves. 

Having  thus  expressed  my  opinion  on  the  difference  be- 
tween aristocr"tical  and  democratical  governments,  and 
shown  some  of  the  fatal  effects  of  the  former  and  the  bles- 
sings of  the  latter  ;  and  particularly  the  injurious  conse- 
quences of  an  alliance  between  Church  and  State,  as  also 
the  course  reformers  ought  to  pursue  in  reference  to  the  af- 
fairs of  Upper  Canada,  I  cannot  refrain  from  expressing 
a  strong  conviction,  that  notwithstanding  the  present  dark- 
ness of  the  political  atmosphere  of  this  province,  a  brighter 
day  will  soon  be  ushered  in.  Yet  it  must  be  remembered 
that  however  sanguine  our  hopes,  however  earnest  our  de- 
sires, and  however  necessitous  our  circumstances,  nothing 
but  united  exertion  will  accomplish  what  Canada  requires. 
Let  no  reformer  degrade  himself  by  crouching  and  fawning; 
this  is  not  a  day  for  dereliction  of  duty,  but  for  manly  in- 
dependence. ^  .  ~ 


JOURNAL. 


n 


The  following  letter  contiiins  such  a  luminous  picture  of 
the  political  degradation  of  Canada,  and  embodies  the  prin- 
ciples contended  for  in  this  work,  that  I  feel  persuaded  all 
true  reformers  will  be  pleased  at  seeing  the  affairs  of  this 
province  portrayed  in  so  masterly  a  manner.  In  reading 
the  letter,  we  discover  an  old  friend,  with  whom  we  have 
often  associated,  and  whose  eloquence  has  both  charmed 
and  instructed  us — and  whose  rare  talents  have  been  so 
constantly  employed  against  despotism,  and  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  free  and  equal  riglits. 


pe  be- 
and 
bles- 
onse- 
also 
e  af- 
|ssing 
ark- 
hter 
ered 
r  de- 
thing 
ires, 
jning; 


FROM    THE    CHICAGO    DEMOCRAT. 

7^0  the  Editor  of  the  Liberal,  St.  Thomas^  Upper  Canada. 

Dear.  Sir — I  mentioned  in  my  last  some  of  the  general 
causes  of  the  depressed  state  of  the  colony,  and  of  the  vast 
prosperity  enjoyed  by  the  people  of  these  States.  I  shall, 
in  this,  be  more  particular.  It  would  be  necessary  for  you 
to  live  in  the  United  States,  and  witness  the  workings  of  our 
systems  in  order  to  appreciate  the  influence  of  freedom  in 
developing  the  mental  and  physical  resources  of  a  nation. — 
You  would  likewise  see  more  clearly  the  debasing  effects  of 
colonial  establishments.  You  are  so  habituated  to  the  abuses 
of  that  system  at  present,  that  they  lose  their  enormity,  as 
the  feelings  of  a  spectator  are  blunted  by  frequently  wit- 
nessing executions.  It  is  a  very  prevalent  opinion  that  Re- 
publicans are  only  adapted  to  an  enlightened  people,  and  this 
opinion  is  to  a  great  extent  true.  But  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  one  of  the  most  obvious  and  immediate  effects  of 
republican  institutions  is  to  generate  and  diffuse  intelligence. 
This  efffjct  is  inseparable  from  the  system.  When  every 
individual  in  society  is  called  on  frequently  to  perform  cer- 


/ 


100 


JOl'RVAL. 


tain  duties,  it  presupposes  tlicm  capable,  in  the  first  plare, 
of  performing  tiiese  duties  ;  but  the  act  of  discharging  tliem 
is  calculated  to  enlighten  the  mind,  as  to  their  nature. — 
When  every  individual  in  the  state  has  a  voice  in  electing 
public  officers,  or  in  dismissing  them  for  bad  conduct — when 
their  judgments  are  apj)ealed  to  on  every  question  of  public 
policy,  foreign  or  domestic — wjicn  they  are  habituated,  for 
a  length  of  time,  to  study  the  bearings  of  public  measures, 
and  the  conduct  of  public  characters,  or  to  fill  public  oflices 
themselves — when  in  addition  to  this,  an  unbounded  field  is 
open  to  ambition — when  genius,  talent  and  moral  rectitude 
are  certain  means  of  attaining  to  the  In'ghest  offices  and 
honors  in  the  state,  it  would  be  contrary  to  the  laws  of  na- 
ture if  intelligence  were  not  generally  diffiised  and  intellect 
cultivated.  This  I  consider  one  of  the  most  beautiful  traits 
in  the  republican  system.  It  calls  forth  the  intellectual 
energies  of  the  nation,  and  every  individual  acquires  an  in- 
crease of  resources  by  the  augmentation  of  knowledge.  In 
this  point  of  view  how  do  your  people  stand  ?  You  are  di- 
rectly the  antipodes  to  us.  We  have  the  greatest  possible 
inducements  to  acquire  knowledge.  You  have  the  least. — 
Your  people  enjoy  but  one  political  right,  that  is  electing 
members  to  parliament  every  four  years,  and  not  one  in 
twenty  has  a  vote.  The  King  lias  the  appointment  to  all 
other  offices  from  the  judge  down  to  the  constable,  and  these 
offices  are  not  confined  to  the  talented  and  meritorious,  but 
to  the  sycophantic  and  servile  ;  of  this  fact  you  have  suffi- 
cient proof.  Your  people  therefore  not  being  called  on  to 
perform  public  duties,  pay  but  little  attention  to  their  nature, 
nor  have  they  inducements  to  educate  their  children,  in 
hopes  of  their  obtaining  honors  or  eminence.  But  inde- 
pendently of  these  general  considerations,  your  government 
is  directly  hostile  to  education.     The  bill  passed  last  sessioHv 


JOURNAL. 


101 


3t. 


granting  5,650  pounds  for  common  schools  was  sent  home 
by  your  Governor  for  the  King's  consent.  A  similar  fate 
awaited  a  similar  measure  in  Lower  Canada,  and  1500 
schools  were  closed  in  consequence.  The  Jesuit's  College 
in  Quebec  was  converted  by  the  same  system  into  a  bar- 
rack, and  its  ample  funds  seized  and  appropriated,  for  other 
purposes.  Are  not  these  sufficient  proofs  that  your  rulers 
are  hostile  to  education,  and  wish  to  debase  the  people  ? 
You  are  little  better  than  slaves  if  you  cannot  employ  your 
own  money  to  educate  your  children,  without  sending  to 
England  for  permission  from  the  King.  Ample  provision 
was  once  made,  from  the  public  lands  in  Upper  Canada,  for 
general  education,  but  these  were  also  spoilated,  part  of 
them  bestowed  upon  favorites,  and  the  remainder  set  apart 
for  endowing  a  sectarian  college  in  Toronto.  Our  govern- 
ment, on  the  contrary,  consider  general  education  of  para- 
mount importance;  they  have  made  a  provision  of  about 
two  millions  of  dollars,  for  the  education  of  all  classes  of 
youth,  in  this  state,  without  distinction  of  creed  or  party. — 
These  are  the  operations  of  republicanism  and  monarchy  in 
regard  to  enlightening  the  human  mind. 

The  structure  of  our  government  is  as  different  from  that 
of  yours  as  can  well  be  imagined.  We  elect  ail  our  offi- 
cers ;  you  elect  none.  We  confide  to  our  officers  but  the 
smallest  quantity  of  powers  necessary  for  the  discharge  of 
their  duties  ;  the  powers  and  patronage  of  your  rulers  are 
almost  unlimited.  Our  officers  are  all  responsible  to  the 
people  ;  yours  are  irresponsible  and  beyond  their  control. 
You  have  no  Constitution  for  their  direction.  Our  Go- 
vernor must  be  a  resident  of  the  state,  acquainted  with  the 
people  and  identified  with  them  in  feelings  and  interests  ; 
your  Governors  are  strangers  sent  from  England,  ignorant 
of  the  country  and  the  genius  and  wants  of  its  inhabitants. 

9* 


*%•■■ 


102 


JOURNAL. 


These  are  important  points  of  (lifrerencc,  diametrically  op- 
posed toeacli  other,  and  of  course,  if  one  be  the  perfection 
of  good,  the  other  must  be  the  maximum  of  evil.  I  shall 
leave  you  to  make  a  choice.  Any  man  at  all  acquainted 
with  the  nature  of  governments,  or  the  workings  of  human 
passions,  must  see  in  a  system  like  yours  the  seeds  of  many 
species  of  abuse  and  corruption.  You  have  for  your  pre- 
sent Governor  a  Poor  Law  Commissioner,  from  a  couniy 
in  England  ;  a  man,  vain";  imperious  and  tyrannical,  as  is 
the  case  with  all  persons  of  ignoble  soul,  when  elevated  to 
office;  and  whose  recommendation  was,  (says  a  London  pa- 
per,) that  he  found  out  the  smallest  possible  quantity  of 
food  that  would  keep  the  soul  and  body  of  a  pauper  to- 
gether,     f  '    .  < 

He  came  to  the  country  ignorant  of  its  situation,  and  hiy 
first  act  was  to  dismiss  the  Executive  CouncU,  for  having 
the  audacity  to  think,  that  in  obedience  to  their  oaths,  they 
had  a  right  to  give  him  advice  on  the  affairs  of  the  Pro- 
vince. And  his  next  prominent  act  was  to  dismiss  the  House 
of  Assembly,  for  daring  to  remonstrate  with  him  on  the 
same  subject.  This  was  tyranny  with  a  vengeance. — He 
came  out  a  professed  Reformer,  and  forthwith  became  a 
despotic  Tory.  He  refused  to  sanction  the  education  bill, 
the  road  bill,  the  war  losses  bill,  and  various  other  mea- 
sures of  great  importance .  They  were  all  tomahawked  at 
his  arbitrary  dictum.  Think  you  that  we  entrust  any  such 
power  to  any  man  or  body  of  men?  Not  at  all.  The  rights 
of  our  people  are  too  dear  to  them,  and  too  well  understood 
to  be  confided  to  the  caprice  or  folly  of  individuals;  we  have 
a  rule  of  conduct,  a  *'Lex  Seresta"  for  every  department, 
beyond  Wuich  they  dare  not  go.  Such  was  the  commence- 
ment of  Sir  Francis  Head's  administration;  his  subsequent 
conduct  was  worthy  of  the  beginning.     He  issued  writs  fo? 


JOURNAL. 


ion 


)use 
the 

-He 

»e  a 
bill, 
ea- 
dat 
uch 
ghts 
tood 
ave 
ent, 
iice- 
ent 
fo7 


n  new  election,  and  lost  ho  should  fail  in  securing  a  majori- 
ty in  his  favor,  ho  manufactured  a  suflicicnt  nurnher  of  vo- 
ters, by  granting  them  free  deeds  of  portions  of  the  public 
lands.  IK;  thus  employed  the  public  donmin  of  the  country 
to  bribo  and  corrupt  the  pcopN?,  and  lie  succeeded.  In  ad- 
dition to  this,  riots,  bloodshed  and  every  species  of  intimida- 
tion were  made  use  of  systematically,  fomented  and  head- 
ed, in  most  instances,  by  his  officials  and  partizuns.  Judges, 
Marshalls,  Sherilfs,  Constables,  looked  with  complaisancy  at 
this  open  violation  of  law;  and  regardless  of  their  oaths 
encouraged  and  set  them  in  motion.  1  can  a|)pcal  to  ever\ 
lionest  man  in  that  country,  as  to  the  truth  of  this  state- 
ment. Thuy  were  your  dearest  rights  violated,  and  your 
only  security  against  oppression,  the  elective  franchise,  * 
wrested  from  you  by  the  strong  arm  of  tyranny.  You 
have  virtually  no  representation.  You  live  under  a  despo- 
tism as  distinctly  marked  as  Turkey  or  Russia.  The  Go- 
vernor has  absorbed  the  powers  of  the  other  two  branches 
in  his  own  person,  and  treated  his  Council  with  the  utmost 
contumely.  But  will  the  people  submit?  Or  are  they  insen- 
sible to  every  feeling  of  principle  or  patriotism?  Charles 
the  X.  of  France  lost  his  Kingdom  for  invading  the  rights 
and  franchises  of  the  people;  and  his  ministers  were  sent 
to  the  dungeons  of  Ham.  Will  you  submit  to  an  invasion 
more  gross,  and  tyranny  more  open  and  profligate?  I  trust 
not.  Remember  the  maxim  of  Lafayette,  "For  a  nation  to 
be  free  it  is  sufficient  that  she  wills  it."  I  trust  you  will 
combine  vigorously  and  assert  your  rights;  constitutionally 
seeking  justice,  but  determined  at  all  hazards  to  obtain  it. 

You  have  seen  the  President's  message.  What  a  splen- 
did exposition  does  it  give  of  the  prosperity  of  this  nation. 
How  I'lr  vinous  ii  argument — how  eloquent  in  style,  and 
wliat  a  fatherly  solicitude  does  the  old  Chieftain   manifest. 


f!f 


104 


JOURNAL. 


at  the  close  of  his  career,  for  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the 
people.  When  wil!  *.he  despots  of  Europe  be  able  to  con- 
gratulate their  subjects  on  a  similar  state  of  public  and  pri- 
vate prosperity? 

"       *  A  TRAVELLER. 

Chicago,  January  2,  1837. 


^1  V 


In  conclusion,  I  will  make  a  small  extract  from  the  im- 
mortal Milton,  on  the  danger  of  prelacy  in  alliance  with 
the  state,  although  Milton  does  not  make  his  boast  of  be- 
ing a  prophet,  or  the  son  of  a  prophet — yet  the  language  is 
purely  prophetic,  although  written  near  two  hundred  years 
ago. 

**  I  ADD  one  thing,  to  those  great  ones  that  are  so  fond  of 
prelaty.  This  is  certain,  that  the  gospel  being  the  hidden 
might  of  Christ,  as  hath  been  heard,  that  ever  a  victorious 
power  joined  with  it  like  him  in  the  Revelation  that  went 
forth  on  the  white  horse  with  his  bow  and  his  crown  con- 
quering and  to  conquer.  If  we  let  the  angel  of  the  gospel 
ride  on  his  own  way,  he  does  his  proper  business,  conquei- 
ing  the  high  thoughts  and  the  proud  reasons  of  the  flesh, 
and  brings  them  under  to  give  obedience  to  Christ  with  the 
salvation  of  many  souls.  But  if  we  turn  him  out  of  his 
road,  and  in  a  manner  force  him  to  express  his  irresistible 
power  by  a  doctrine  of  carnal  might,  as  prelaty  as  he  will 
use  that  fleshly  strength  which  ye  put  into  his  hands  to  sub- 
due your  spirits  by  a  servile  and  blind  superstition,  and  that 
again  shall  hold  such  dominion  over  your  captive  minds  as 
returning  with  insatiate  greediness  and  fo'-ce  upon  your 
worldly  wealth  and  power,  wherewith  to  deck  and  magnify 


tl 
d 

P 


JOURNAL. 


105 


^|V 


.<. 


lK3rsclf,  and  her  false  worship  make  havoc  of  your  cstalcs, 
disturb  your  ease,  diminish  your  honor,  enthral  your  liberty, 
under  the  swelling  mood  of  a  proud  clergy^  who  will  not 
serve  or/eed  your  souls  with  spiritual  food — look  not  for  it, 
they  have  not  wherewithal,  or  if  they  had,  it  is  not  to  tlieiv 
purpose.  , 

*'  But  when  they  have  glutted  their  ungrateful  bodies,  at 
least,  if  it  be  possible  that  those  open  sepulchres,  should 
ever  be  glutted,  and  when  they  have  stuffed  their  idolish 
temples,  with  the  wasteful  pillage  of  your  estates,  will  they 
yet  have  any  compassion  on  you,  and  that  poor  pittance 
they  have  left  you  1  will  they  be  but  so  good  to  you  as  that 
ravisher  was  to  his  sister,  when  he  had  used  her  to  his  plea- 
sure 1  will  they  but  only  hate  you  and  so  turn  you  av/ay  ? 
No,  they  will  not — they  will  not  favor  you  so  much.  What 
will  they  do  then  ?  1  will  tell  you,  (for  most  of  you  know 
it  already,)  that  they  want  nothing  to  make  them  true  Mer- 
chants of  Babylon — as  they  have  done  to  your  souls,  they 
will  sell  your  bodies,  your  wives,  your  children.,  your  liberty 
and  your  parhamerits — all  these  things,  and  if  there  be 
aught  else  dearer  than  these,  they  will  sell  at  an  outcry,  in 
their  pulpits,  to  the  arbitrary  and  illegal  dispose  of  any  one 
that  may  hereafter  be  called  a  king,  whose  mind  serve  him 
to  listen  to  their  bargain,  and  by  their  corrupt  and  servile 
doctrines  bring  on  our  ears  to  an  everlasting  slavery,  as 
they  have  long  hitherto,  so  will  they  do  their  best  to  repeal 
and  erase  ev'ery  line  and  clause  of  both  our  great  charters.''' 

"And  indeed  they  stand  opportunely  for  the  disturbing  or 
the  destroying  of  a  state,  being  a  knot  of  creatures  whose 
dignities,  means  and  preferments  have  no  foundation  in  the 
gospel,  as  they  themselves  acknowledge,  but  only  in  the 
Prince's  favour,    and  to  continue  so  long  to  them,        by 


w>m 


106 


JOURNAL. 


pleasing  him  tliey  shall  deserve;  whence  it  must  needs  be 
they  should  turn  all  their  intentions  and  services  to  no  other 
ends  but  his,  that  if  it  should  that  a  tyrant  should  come  to 
grasp  the  Scepter,  here  are  his  spear  men  and  his,  lances; 
here  are  his  fire  locks  ready;  he  should  need  no  other  pre- 
torian  band  nor  pensionary  than  these,  if  they  could  once 
with  their  perfidious  preachments  awe  the  people. 

'♦For  although  the  prelates  in  time  of  popery  were  some- 
times friendly  enough  to  Magna  Charta,  it  was  because 
they  stood  upon  their  own  bottom,  without  their  main  depen- 
dance  on  the  royal  nod:  but  now  being  well  acquainted  that 
the  protestant  religion,  if  she  will  reform  herself  rightly  by 
the  Scriptures,  must  redress  them  of  all  their  gilded  vanities 
and  reduce  them  as  they  were  at  first,  to  the  lowly  and  equal 
order  of  presbyters,  they  know  it  concerns  them  nearly  to 
study  the  times  more  than  the  text,  and  to  lift  up  their  eyes 
to  the  hills  of  the  court,  from  whence  only  comes  their 
help." — Miltonh  Prose  Works,  Page  52. 

"So  that  when  all  is  done,  and  belly  hath  used  in  vain  all 
her  cunning  shifts,  I  doubt  not  but  all  true  ministers,  con- 
sidering the  demonstration  of  what  hath  been  here  proved, 
will  be  wise,  and  think  it  much  more  tolerable  to  hear,  that 
no  maintenance  of  ministers,  whether  tithes  or  any  other, 
can  be  settled  by  statute,  but  must  be  given  by  them  who 
receive  instruction;  and  freely  given,  as  God  hath  ordained. 
And  indeed  what  can  be  a  more  honorable  maintenance  to 
them  than  such,  whether  alms  or  willing  oblations,  as 
these;  wlftch  being  accounted  both  alike  as  given  to  God, 
the  only  acceptable  sacrifices  now  remaining,  must  needs 
represent  him  who  receives  them  much  in  the  care  of  God, 
and  nearly  related  to  him,  when  not  by  worldly  force  and 
constraint,  but  with  religious  awe  and  reverence,  what  is 
given  to  God,  is  given  to  him;  and  what  to  him,  accounted 


. 


J 

I 

r 

t 

b 

i\ 

a 

ai 


u 


JOURNAL. 


107 


^ 


»s  shall  bo  ,ve|,  .,„g,.,,«  ,  many  ,^';;:,  ^""^ '  ''-""'-■^. 
«re  ye  so  distrustful  both  of  your  '£1""  "'°''^-  ^.y 
I"-o"-iscs,   fulfilled  in  tho  ev,lw  .      ""'=  ""''  °'' foci's 

-"'?  Luke  ...ii.  35,   "WhT/r ''"'""  ''■•->'- fi- 
scrip,  and  shoes,  lacked  ye  any  ,W„^"",""'',''°"'  ""'''■'  ""^ 
"""S-"    How  then  came  ours  of       "''  ""^^  ^»'<'  No- 
'""to,  thus  ,,oor  and  empty  bo  i.  L?°  "'"'  "'*^'"  ">us  des- 
;«y  e  themselves  ombasrado  s  of  ^,"0?"     '"""'      ^''- 
<«  !'.«  t..he-gatherers,  (hough  an  offi"!    cT-  "'"'  '•"^'"  '« 
"P  to  his  dishonor,  his  exacters    ht     t,    ""  """  ^'^"'"5 
rusting  that  he  will  maintai     h  'mt  T      "?  ""'''''  "°' 
•hey   bind  him  to   his  prom      T  '"'"''"^'^y' "«'<-'«« 

«"»"  maintain  them.  Jy  dZ  '^  '^^'"tute-W,  that  we 
f «.  vvhile  ye  seek  main  ^ari  !  '""^'  "-'  -gni«c 
the  manner  of  embassadors  to  a,L-  '''°P''  •' ''  ''^  ""t 

whom  they  are  sent.  Bu  he  wt  "'"""'^^  °^ "'<''"  '« 
hath  so  ordained  :  trust  hi  ,,.,"  ^"'"''  <"■»"  things, 
"and  the  people  to  110^1:"  '  "^  '^''"  <=-' ' 

;-e  honorable  unasked,^!  rd  ITTJ  r'-"""""- 
this  they  preach,  yet  believe  nJ  t  ,  '^  "'^^  '"'ow, 
We.  without  a  statute-law  to  hvl  r  k"'"''  "  "^  '''"PO-i- 
those  words  they  were  b.d  1  !  "u"""  ^''^P^''  «^  i^by 
-d  John  did  .heir  b^ol^  afdT  T  '''''"•''*  ^^  E.ekiel 
-  bitter  to  their  bellies.^-Sjrp^'^-  '""^  "^ 

^-*o«n-,  F.*r„arj  24th,  1837.    /^^^^^^  DAVIS. 


{•. 


E.R  RATA. 


Page  13,  8th  line  from  top,  for"  railed,"  read  **  rolled,"  &c. 
Page  23d,  24  line  from  bottom,  for  **  Shanes,"  read  "  Shane,"  &c. 
Page 25,  9th  line  from  top,  for  "one  thousand  five  hundred,"  read 

"  one  million  five  hundred  thousu^d,"  &c. 
Page  50,  2d  line  from  top,  tor/*  you,^read  ♦*  your,"  &c.        ^ 


i    ( 


M 


) 


V 


-*': 


B^ 


III* 


